Little Bird Release New Single “gHost”

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Little Bird deliver one of the most emotionally-charged enigmas of 2019 in their new single “gHost” this April, and while it’s steeped in the craftwork of R&B, it packs a surprisingly metallic punch that will affect anyone within earshot of its colorful rhythm. Trying to categorize the type of music that Little Bird play isn’t easy, even for the trained ear of someone who has made an entire career in doing as much, but that shouldn’t give listeners the impression that their style is without form or shape. “gHost” is one of their most transcendent works of art so far, and it comprises sounds that originate in 70’s style R&B and slow funk, post-rock experimentalism, avant-garde pop, psychedelia and even a touch of noise music. It’s a lot to take in inside of a single sitting, but I’ve found that while Little Bird’s music is structured around a conceptualism that we’ll never be able to completely pin down on the critical side of the stereo, it rocks such an affectionately contagious blend of grooves that it’s palatable to most anyone who likes a solid melody in their music.

URL: http://www.thisislittlebird.com/

The percussion, the rhythm driving it, the minute nuances in the vocal, the overdrive suffocating the strings; everything here is incredibly textured and riddled with surreal harmonies. If there were any fans or critics who questioned the legitimacy of this band’s chemistry and natural cohesiveness before hearing “gHost,” there definitely won’t be by the time this track reaches national airplay on college radio (where I personally think it would find the most comfortable of homes this season). These guys are playing off of each other’s cues, adjusting their tempo to skew the grooves with jazzy complications, and grinding together to make a jarring tonality that is as cratering as what you would normally find on an album by an atmospheric heavy metal band like Pelican. It’s still R&B underneath it all, but it’s an R&B that doesn’t want to exist in a box that was designed by a generation with limited perspective in comparison to what Little Bird are in possession of now.

In an era of pop minimalism unlike anything that we’ve seen or heard in recent memory, this band dares to be larger than life, intrepid in their dispatches and bold in their willingness to try the untried and accept whatever results fate deals them. So far, it’s been nothing but success for Little Bird, and I don’t think “gHost” is going to do anything but elevate their status in the scene to an even higher spot than where it currently sits. When the bassline in this track takes the vocal ribbonry out for a walk, it’s as if we’re watching an intimidatingly large cloud splinter into a dozen smaller entities in the skies above. There’s no rhyme or reason to it, but somewhere deep inside, something is telling us that we’re witnessing something that is uncompromisingly divine taking place right in front of us. Little Bird are doing some great things for their genre right now, and I’m eager to find out what the next chapter of their story will bring us.

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thisislittlebird/

by Bethany Page