BIRDSONGS OF THE MESOZOIC (EP)

I think this might have actually been the first thing these guys ever released. This is a pretty short EP consisting of five tracks, four of which are almost inconsequentially brief, and the more substantial Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous which would eventually appear along with Drift and The Orange Ocean on the full-length studio album 'Sonic Geology'. The other two songs would show up on 'The Fossil Record' compilation years later, after the band had made something of a name for themselves.

There's really not a whole lot to say about this EP; if you've never heard Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic then you may be in for a treat; that is if you are one of those people who got into the faux-jazz post- punk music scene of the mid-eighties that spawned these guys and others like them. Joe Jackson, Jah Wobble and Group 87 among others rode the wave for a few years as well.

These guys are great musicians for sure, although I wouldn't consider them to be avant-garde necessarily. More like a group of guys who clearly have formal musical training and a penchant for experimentation, mostly of the digital and synthesized variety. If you strip away the sound effects this is basically chamber music, slightly jazz-leaning in its composition, and with the bonus of a Farfisa organ, which I personally find to be a very warm and engaging instrument. Roger Miller was still with the band at this point as well, and his solid piano work reinforces the jazz references (and I would also mention the dude is very impressive with the level of finger dexterity and speed he shows, especially on the closing track).

Three stars seems about right; this is a decent introduction to the band and sort of marks their territory musically. Their fanbase isn't exactly huge, but they do appear to be quite loyal, so fans and collectors probably already have this. If you don't then you probably aren't a serious fan, and in that case I think I'd recommend the 'The Fossil Record' instead since it has some of the songs on this EP and also a number of other rarities from the band's early years. That actually sounds more like an argument for two stars, but the music is very well-played and I can't quite bring myself to rate it as somehow substandard because it isn't - it's just not for everybody. If you're a Birdsongs fan, you already know this.

peace