The Mynabirds – What We Lose In The Fire…

by Vinh on June 9th, 2010

The Mynabirds – What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood
April 27th, 2010
Saddle Creek
Score: 5.8

Paying homage to one’s predecessors is commendable, but it’s also cast as abject pastiche from time to time. Dipping into the old fashioned runs the risk of inadvertently landing in the old hat. On Laura Burhenn’s debut as The Mynabirds, the issue lies in a different field entirely: she can’t keep to one hat. What We Lose In The Fire…’s standouts are the grainy Americana-inflected numbers, yet between these bewitching entries are overly spirited romps and sterile cuts, resulting in a ride that isn’t so much jarring as it is irritating. While the shifts in tempo aren’t abrasive, they certainly do hinder any potential air of consistency. The opener is a honeyed slice of pop steeped in country and gospel, brimming with a vintage aesthetic bolstered by Burhenn’s smoky timbre and timely horns. However, rather than embracing these delicate waves, ‘Let The Record Go’ rains on the parade, armed with a jittery demeanor which brings the record’s simmer to a boil in a matter of seconds. Elsewhere, ‘L.A. Rain’ is downright gorgeous in its easygoing melancholy — a snappy downtown-leaning ditty depicting our protagonist picking herself up after being unceremoniously knocked to the pavement. “Yes it’s came and it went away”, intimates an assured Burhenn, strolling down the street to face life’s continual storm with umbrella in hand. Once more, a sonic interruption emerges when the raucous drum intro of ‘Wash It Out’ makes its conspicuous entrance. The track isn’t wildly detached from its surroundings, it’s simply too present, too tidy and precise. The leisurely, sepia-toned amble begins to take a backseat and, in the end, the clearer picture left behind isn’t all that riveting. The Mynabirds’ blue-eyed soul is quite engaging really — it doesn’t succumb to pitfalls of throwback songwriting nor does it not lack character. In fact, it boasts too many of them.

Vinh Cao

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