Released in 1993, The Pigeon Is the Most Popular Bird is a landmark of noisy, distressing post-punk, drawing influence from Gang of Four, The Birthday Party, and Wire while adding a healthy dose of the band's own, unique sonic antagonism.
It's rare to come across such specific and purposeful prose in modern pop. But, alongside Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst and the Decemberists' Colin Meloy, John Darnielle is helping bring fine lyric writing back to life - NY Daily News.
The album is described as a “full-on musical,” telling the story of a shipwrecked crew of sixteen men, only three of whom survive a catastrophic storm.
Of the 800-plus songs he has recorded, only a handful directly concern his own life experience; The Sunset Tree's 13 tracks, written after Darnielle's stepfather passed away in December 2003, are the bulk of this small subsection.
The definitive Hovvdy album. Across the 19-track sequence, ranging from expansive celebratory anthems to quiet acoustic meditations, Hovvdy displays deft and catchy pop songcraft with touches of indie folk and southern Americana.
Appropriately disheveled, the Three emerge from the unending waves of time to pick up their guitar drum and viola / violin / piano / synthesizer / loops / percussion for their first album in a decade.
Limited edition 2011 reissue on 180-gram vinyl. Until this album's initial release in 1956, Chet was known strictly as a trumpeter. A remarkably talented trumpeter. "Chet Baker Sings" changed that, and Chet became a noted singer, too.