Friday, November 25, 2011

The Mynabirds Remind Us What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood


Drawing upon her roots and the music that she grew up with, Georgie James' Laura Burhenn has started a project that's all her own. Known as The Mynabirds, the group is a result of Burhenn turning inward after the breakup of her other band and realizing that finding her own voice was not only an important thing but a pretty awesome thing as well. Taking her new project's name from a long forgotten Motown group featuring Neil Young and Rick James, the Mynabirds take that soulful rock approach and really mould the idea in to something obviously rooted in the past is very much her very own. What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Floodis proof of that effort and probably the strongest thing that Burhenn has ever recorded in any band.

With influences coming from gospel, soul, country, and a bit of rock and roll, What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Floodis far older than it lets on. This is a record with a classic sound, a sound that defined an era; an era long since past. To put it simply, The Mynabirds make music that no one makes anymore. This is music that tugs and your heart and overwhelms your soul. It's beautiful music that's as dark and depressing as it is light and uplifting. It's a spiritual record that's constantly looking for guidance and Burhenn guides her songs to the pearly gates on the wings of her voice. She does such a good job that What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood is absolutely the most gorgeous record of 2010 thus far.

If you can think of Duffy gone gospel or Amy Winehouse gone bible thumper, you can almost hear The Mynabirds in your head. Burhenn writes soulful songs that are tear jerkers that nearly break your heart. It's absolutely stunning stuff that will remind you of days gone by, of a time when songs this strong were all over the air. This is the sound of the 60's bang up to date thanks to The Mynabirds. I can't really go on saying how amazing this record is. But I will say that Burhenn's voice will make your heart melt and her songs will linger with you long after What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood ends.

Listening to What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Floodgives me hope that classic pop vocalists with soul are still out there. These are the songs that Petula sang and made famous. What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Floodis the sound of your heart breaking and being put back together one piece at a time. The Mynabirds might just make you cry if your not careful, but it's ok because these songs will reaffirm your belief in life and how great music can really be. That being said, it seems pretty obvious that The Mynabirds might have just come up with one of the best albums of 2010.

No comments:

Post a Comment