THE SUNBIRDS
No Sun, No Shadow (Paisley Pop)
Reviewed by Erick Mertz

---

Away from the bright lights of Friday night football games, hanging out in dark crevices - at my high school, it was "Smoker's Corner" - there lurks a special brand of teenager. They aren't impressed enough by clubs to join and certainly never buckled down the chin strap. Seemingly content to steal beers and Marlboros and talk about music, eventually one will start a band and maybe even play a gig on Friday night (in an out of the way cafe, of course).

All of these memories came back with the Sunbirds album No Sun, No Shadow. Remnant of Up On The Sun era Meat Puppets, the threesome has the lazy stoner ideal down. The vocals are drawling and fall in their outcast vernacular across the mix with a tongue in cheek humor that is wonderful. The contemporary connection might be made with pre-Soft Bulletin Flaming Lips in its thick production and pining for Keystone Light and cut off shorts. Minor Portland studio legend Larry Crane's bass is admirably heavy and carries this even headed record through twelve solid tracks. With few peaks and valleys - no "singles" or "throw aways" - this makes for the perfect late summer driving album. "Old Black Crow" beats it way into a furious crescendo that for me is transformative, pulling me all the way back to an angst I thought long forgotten.

© 2003 - Erick Mertz