Having gone through a rapid metamorphosis from jazz-school kids to experimental punks to noise-pop oddballs, it's easy to see why Birthday is bursting with ideas. Throughout the twists and turns of the album the band embrace moments of heartfelt melody as often as sugar-coated abrasiveness, making for a quirky yet oddly compelling listen, drawing close comparisons to Deerhoof, although they're assuredly more accessible.
Their sound shifted fast, due to necessity, so like a musical game of mastermind, elements of their previous combinations appear here, including multiple freak-outs that could have easily been noise rock if they added more gain. The explosive opener "Theme #1" is a great example, as it lays two coats of brighter paint away from Black Midi's "Near DT, MI." That energy is only matched a few times, namely on "Crazy Energy Night" and the Beatles-borrowing "Day Tripper," the latter of which features a soaring solo. They swap outright unhinged riffs for catchy numbers in most cases, with a surprisingly sweet detour in the mid-section on "Blue" and "Honey." For an album that hinges on frantic idea swapping, Birthday manages to consistently surprise, making it something of a celebration of kooky guitar-driven pop, all the while maintaining momentum and a sense of unbridled joy.
© Liam Martin /TiVo