When you listen to a song which repeats the lines “Children hurting bees with sewing needles” you know you have found a left-field track. The release in question is the new single ‘Swallow Man Aviary’ from Italian/Welsh band Lunar Bird.
The lyrics may be left-field but this track has immediate appeal. The synth driven melody builds slowly before the rhythmic drum beat kicks in. By the time Roberta Musillami’s vocals breeze over the melody you have already been transported away. Gone are the rain swept dark October evenings. You are wandering amongst the wild sand dunes of a deserted beach, feeling the late summer sunshine on your face. You are laughing with friends in a beer garden as the ochre tones of evening rays shimmer across half finished glasses of beer. Dreamy is a clichéd phrase but this track is effortlessly catchy and evokes dream-like thoughts as you listen.
The lyrics are poetic. They spark images in your mind. They prompt questions. The fragility, beauty and cruelness of nature. The repeating lines represent a call to action to save bees.
This release is supported by Help Musicians Do It Differently Fund 2020. Whilst Lunar Bird definitely have a different sound and vibe the track shouldn’t be seen as one for fans of a specific genre. The titular “Swallow Man” refers to the Italian piano legend Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli and his obsession with perfection. Whether this is a nod to the band seeking perfection, who’s to say? What is true is that as Autumn takes hold, ‘Swallow Man Aviary’ is three minutes thirty nine second of dream-pop that soothes your ears and transports your thoughts back to summer.
‘Swallow Man Aviary’ is out on 16th October.
Words by Andrew Butcher
Check out Andrew’s blog here.
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