Review Summary: A pleasant record, with uneasy undertones that stop it from slipping under your ears.
The obvious reference point for corrections's aptly titled 'Birdsong' is still The Church. However, while that band frequently couples its otherworldly sound with mystical lyrics, corrections rejects the ephemeral; opting instead to portray the concerns of mundane life with a glossy patina. It’s a patina that is constantly on the verge of cracking. The lush chords and soaring synths of ‘Glitter’ give way to the dissonant, isolated arpeggios of ‘Maidenhead’, while ‘Placer’ provides a pleasant 'Sunday Afternoon Drive' atmosphere. All of this is eventually undermined by aggressive strumming and cries for help in 'Idolatry', which is preceded by the flirty modulation in 'Sham-Show', a track that decays more quickly in two minutes than the rest of the album combined.
The dichotomy is perhaps a little too on the nose in 'Formed' which pulls the otherwise refreshing trick of front-loading the banality and hiding the gloss. This feeling is only reinforced as the song stomps its way to its crescendo, the spoken word vocals wondering whether it, "could be any more intense?". More rewarding variation is to be found in 'It’s Been Too Long' with its menacing synth and drum machine intro, to the ever shifting textures and dynamics of 'Olivia'. Birdsong ultimately makes for a rewarding listening experience.
Written by Glen Hewson
