BIRDSONGS OF THE MESOZOIC (EP)

The first steps! Birdsongs of the Mesozoic are an American RIO band that was formed in the first half of the eighties, since then they have released several albums whose sound has changed a little bit, but their essence is the same.

My introduction to this band was their "Sonic Geology", which is a compilation of their earlier stuff. And liked their peculiar style, which is why I wanted to know more about them. A couple of weeks ago I found this self titled EP, which is actually their first release ever, so here the roots of the band can be appreciated.

This EP was released in 1983 and features only five songs, with a total time of 16 minutes. What you will find here, is a combination of avant-garde music with some kind of post-punk, interesting.

And that can be heard since the very first song "Sound Valentine" where a piano sound appears along with some kind of electronic drums, creating a tense atmosphere that in moments turns dark, the song is short and the structure is the same, but sounds interesting. Let me tell you that here you will find a purely instrumental album.

The next three songs are really short; they do not reach the 3 minutes. First there is "Transformation of Oz" where a piano and a farfisa appear interplaying with those electronic drums; it could be used as a soundtrack of either a terror or a science fiction movie. Next is "Drift" whose sound is softer and gentler in the first minute, later a kind of synth enters and adds some strange noises as background, creating again a nervous or tense atmosphere. "The Orange Ocean" has an addictive piano sound all over the song, the good thing are the elements they add throughout it, like some kind of cello that creates a beautiful sound, it is a pity the song is too short.

And this EP finishes with its longest song (six minutes) entitled "Triassic Jurassic Cretaceous" which again has that electronic drums that actually remind me to some Tuxedomoon passages. There are plenty of odd noises here that can drive you crazy, but at the same time can put you in an intriguing even exciting mood. Those strange sounds create some images in your mind that could lead you to an imaginary story, but that's only me, who like inventing stories while listening to music.

This is not the best introduction to the band, but if you want to listen to their first steps, you can get this self-titled EP. I like it and enjoy it every time I listen to it, but I do not really consider it could be actually recommendable, so I believe two stars is the correct rating, it is good, but just for fans?anyway

Enjoy it!