Fowl Play
In a Nutshell:
Recommended for:
· Blues/soul nuts
· Live album fans
· Your upbeat soul playlist
Average Rating: 7.4/10
Pros:
· Powerful, soulful vocals
· Tight live band sound
Cons:
· Redundant song structures
· Some cheesy shoutouts between songs
This Brooklyn-based group is jammed pack with mature blues players. This being said, the group is not full of old-timers, just musicians with a clear understanding of the genre. This is their fifth album, and their first live one. This album was recorded at The Warehouse in Connecticut in March of this year, 2016. You can listen to their album on Spotify, or purchase it from the usual online music vendors.
The Dirty Birds, Photo by: Scrubhiker
Mom:
This review can start no other way than by mentioning Sister Sparrow’s vocals. In one word, her voice is powerful. She has the capability of slaughtering high notes, the soul to spice up a melody, the vibrato to refine any note, and the control to keep such qualities in check (which is twice as noteworthy considering this is a live album). For a live soul album, this is it. The band is tight, and the vocalist is dominant.
Being a soul album, it does trip into what I think of as an expected pitfall. Every song contains some belting vocals. Though this is what is so great about soul, it can make an album a bit hard to listen to. Ballads, such as, “My House” have some nice quieter vocal moments, nonetheless, dynamic vocal twists end up in powerhouse vocals yet again.
Considering the band’s limits due to this album being live, the band does a good job not sounding like they are playing the same song on loop. There are enough musical interludes to break up the vocals, as well.
With my closing remarks, I would like to mention how this album fits into the scope of the genre. Big blues/soul bands are not popular any more. I would make the argument that it is a dying genre. What was the last time you heard of a large group of people under 25 going to see such a band? You really don’t. This is a group that plays a killer show at a county fair, meanwhile middle-aged people clap while trying not to spill their pilsner in see-through plastic cups (some wearing cowboy hats). This is a good album, by a good group, in a good genre. But the genre needs refreshing for any legitimate attention, the band is not providing such innovation, and the album probably sells more hard copies on the road than it does online. But, do not let that detract from the album. If you want a good modern soulful album, spin it.
Favorite Song: “My House”
8.6/10
Sister Sparrow, Photo by: Scrubhiker
A-TRAIN:
I find that live albums tend to be hit or miss, and in the case of Fowl Play, I think Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds did a really solid job. It was an enjoyable listen, regardless of whether or not you are a fan of the genre. There is a lot of fantastic instrumentation and vocal components that impress.
You certainly have to be in a certain mood, or a certain situation to put this record on, but I’d say it is worth doing exactly that from time to time. It’s not my favorite type of music, or even really a favorite group within the genre, but it’s quite good. I’m always hyped to hear an awesome harmonica riff, or funky bass line, and those things are going on all over here... along with some solid blues guitar and powerful vocals to make for a happy listener.
As far as complaints go, I have but a few. As would be somewhat expected before you even listen, the lyrics do get a tad cheesy and cliche. It’s a long album (also expected since it’s a live performance) but I think for the purpose of recording, they could’ve cut a handful of songs as it felt repetitive to me at time.
Overall a fun listen, not a gem, but worth listening to keep your repertoire of genres rich and diverse.
Favorite Song: “Frankie”
6.6/10
[The reviewer formerly known as Jake]:
Two things are guaranteed when listening to Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds:
1) You will experience tons of soul directly to the face
2) Your gut will be busted severely by Sister Sparrow’s voice
This live album allows us to have a glimpse of how tight, intense, and dynamic of a sound this band possesses on the stage. Sister Sparrow has an incredible set of pipes that would do Janis Joplin and Etta James proud and her accompanying band has an incredible roster of talented blues and soul musicians. Harmonica player Jackson Kincheloe unloads dirty and distorted harmonica throughout this album while guitarist Sasha Brown plays tastefully and virtuosic while horn players Phil Rodriguez and Brian Graham blow on the brass very impressively.
The biggest downfall of this album is the length of the album. Everything that this album can do gets done in around 45 minutes or so, leaving another hour of material that doesn’t bring any exciting new changes.
Also, the songs tend to have a focus on Sister Sparrow’s vocals, which can occasionally cause the songwriting to suffer. There was never a moment this album pleasantly surprised me with anything unique. However, focusing on Sister Sparrow’s vocals is not all of a bad thing. This woman has some of the most powerful and soulful pipes out there right now. One cannot help but focus solely on her vocals when they are that outstanding.
Overall, this album is a solid blues and soul album, even if it can start to get stale. There are very impressive vocal performances as well as great improv and solos from the band. I recommend people take a flip through this album, especially since the big soul band is becoming more and more rare to find.
Fave Song: “Sugar”
7/10
If you're feeling this soul music pulsing through your body, you might want to check out Sister Sparrow's website and get yourself acquainted with more of their music, tour info, and whatnot.
NExt week's album: Blanco
by: David Bazan
Our team is comprised of some semi-normal, occasionally funny people who love to listen to and talk about music. And like many of you, we constantly find ourselves hungry to discover new music.