For long-time fans of this folk-rock outfit, EONS has been a hotly anticipated sophomore album. For those super patient peeps, I can say that it has been worth the wait! On the other hand, if like me; this is your first encounter with Mimicking Birds – boy, you’re in for a treat!
It’s been a long time coming, but the narcoleptic-folk 3 piece Mimicking Birds have finally returned with their new record EONS.
I feel that this band have accomplished much more than rolling out a bunch of pretty ‘sick’ new tracks. Despite the sheer awesomeness of some individual tunes such as Owl Hoots, Acting Your Age and Moving On (my personal favourites), Mimicking Birds have succeeded in creating and then properly curating a harmonious compilation of songs to make what is a quietly beautiful album.
Memorabilia is the opening track of the record and it does a stellar job of setting the tone for what is to come. The gentle and laid-back riff on the guitar/sitar immediately hooks you in if the synthy ambience hadn’t done that already. Nate Lacy’s vocals are hushed and soothing sung in his unique way, with a blatant disregard for punctuation and, well breathing…
Already, you get the mood of the record. Everything is understated and minimalist in feel. The world this album constructs is not one of epic proportions but of an allegorical one which has been put under the microscope; everything is magnified one-hundred times.
Though there is a certain amount of consistency throughout this record, there is by no means a uniformity. Two of my favourite tracks are notable for their totally different feels: Acting Your Age is a bittersweet folk bildungsroman which hopes to beckon you into adulthood, while Owls Hoot is a running appropriate, beat heavy track which slowly builds up in urgency with scattered percussion.
The idea you get is that these guys knows how to make dreamy, lethargic folk which just lulls you to sleep. There is no reason to mess around with a sound that works and so these guys don’t try to go overboard with synths and percussion which is why it is so much more refreshing when you get half-way through Moving On and start hearing swagalicious marimba-ish keyboard swells that fill your heart with happiness and make you want to jump on to a Pegasus and fly through the sunset skies… Ahem, you get my point.
I would strongly recommend listening to this record late at night from top-to-bottom in one go in the peace and quiet of your bedroom, or on a long night-time train commute with noise-cancelling headphones. As pleasant as these tunes would sound in the background of a cosy, hipster cafe, I feel as though this album deserves your full attention. There are delicate and airy layers of sound and intricate rhythmic details which would pass unnoticed and be missed by the passive listener.
I like this album. I like it a lot. To wax poetic (because I haven’t done that already, right?) this record is made for the night. It lends itself to midnight swims, jogs in the dark, stargazing and other quiet activities where you can just drink in the beauty of the music. So, reward yourself now by putting this album on, although don’t if you’re not in a position to fall asleep because that is what will happen. Trust me. I know.
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