Review Summary: Cowabunga, motherfucker.
The Ergs! are some prolific bastards. The amount of time they devote to their many, many, many musical projects almost makes me wonder how any of them hold down a day job. Night Birds are one such post-Ergs! group. Since their inception, they’ve recorded a demo, an EP/single, a self-titled EP, and a tape featuring the un-mastered recordings of their latest release,
Midnight Movies. With this “official” release of their third EP, the Night Birds step slightly away from their surf influences to create a wonderful fusion of both old and new resulting in one of the most fresh sounds heard in any scene of punk music today.
The four tracks featured on
Midnight Movies are all loosely based around the cinematic joys the big screen offers. Night Birds cover topics such as wanting to see a “celluloid acid trip” and literally being sucked into both a movie and/or TV screen. The guitar work, as with past releases, steals the show. The catchy riffs blend perfectly with the shout-a-long lyrics and vocals. Night Birds haven’t lost their tough guy image either. “Bad Biology” and “Triple Feature,” in particular, both have the sneering, go f
uck yourself attitude reminiscent of punk bands of old. Despite this, the Birds forge a sonic presence that is easily one of the most unique and clever in modern punk.
Midnight Movies is Night Birds’ best release yet. It holds up even better than the rest of the band's discography in the world post-Ergs!. It’s a fast and extremely fun ride through the thematic history of punk rock, and it will leave one VERY hungry for this band to finally release a full-length album. Everything just comes together so well on this EP that it’s sure to be one of 2011’s best, even if it technically was released on cassette late last year. However you want to spin that, just be sure to spin this. If you’re a fan of punk music and miss out on this spectacularly talented band, you are doing yourself a great disservice.
