MULTIPURPOSE TRAP

"Multipurpose Trap" is the second full-length studio album by US progressive rock act Birds and Buildings. The album was released through Emkog Records in 2013. It's the successor to "Bantam to Behemoth" from 2008. The core quartet lineup from the debut album is intact here, but the band have added violinist Chris Fyhr to the lineup. "Multipurpose Trap" also feautures some guest vocal performances.

Stylistically the material on "Multipurpose Trap" is a continuation of the busy, fast-paced, eclectic progressive rock/jazz/fusion of the preceding album. Adding a violinist to the lineup only makes the soundscape even more busy and layered and let's establish right away that the 9 tracks, 63:37 minutes long album is not for the faint at heart or for those seeking easily accessible vers/chorus structures are tranquil pastoral progressive rock. This is very challenging music featuring constant time signature changes, changes between musical genres, adventurous songwriting ideas, and overall unconventional song structures. All performed by a cast of incredibly skilled musicians. This is predominantly instrumental music (although the album features some vocal parts, both male and female lead vocals and choirs) featuring guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, saxophone, clarinet, and violin.

"Multipurpose Trap" features an organic, powerful, and detailed sound production, which is perfect for the material. It's a very well sounding album this one. So upon conclusion "Multipurpose Trap" is a high quality sophomore studio album from Birds and Buildings, and while most of the musical elements found on this album are tried and true if you're relatively familiar with the greats of 70s progressive rock and jazz-rock/fusion, it doesn't take away from the fact that this is a high quality release and a 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.