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Written
by Daniel Boyer, posted by blog admin
Where
the Light Bends is the second release from Nashville based singer, songwriter,
and guitarist Josh Birdsong. His debut Simple Geometry threw down the gauntlet
by serving notice to the Nashville scene and the music world at large that a
major new performer and writer is poised to make a deep impact. The promise of
that initial release is fully realized with Where the Light Bends’ six songs
and it has an impressive scope despite being an EP release. It isn’t surprising
when you stop to consider the wave of accolades Birdsong has enjoyed since
first emerging – numerous competitions, plum placement of his material on high
profile television networks, and graduation from the prestigious Interlochen
Arts Academy with a singer/songwriter degree. Where the Light Bends should
accelerate his upward trajectory and cement him as one of the more formidable
talents to emerge in recent memory.
His
artistry is apparent from the first song onward. “Complex Context” is
definitely the most aggressive track on the release and, while it shares some
of the ambient textures you hear fleshed out in greater detail on later songs,
the authoritative drumming heard throughout much of the track and uptempo pace
set it apart from later songs. Birdsong delivers an equally forceful vocal and
his guitar parts are certainly worth listeners’ attention. His six string
talents are simply impossible to ignore. Another of the strongest songs on
Where the Light Bends is the second cut “The Sound Beneath the Static” and the
well rounded creativity defining both the arrangement and lyric makes this one
of Birdsong’s most fully realized moments on both this release and his debut.
The chorus is particularly memorable and the one-two combination of this with
the opener gets Where the Light Bends off to an impressive start. The ambient
influences on Birdsong’s songwriting gain strength with the songs “Cloud 8” and
the EP’s longest song “Too Much to Hold”, but neither track is so devoted to
its soundscape design that it neglects to engage listeners. The former song,
especially, features subtle guitar lines that get under the listener’s skin
while Birdsong’s singing on “Too Much to Hold” raises already excellent lyrics
to a much higher level.
The
EP moves away from the atmospheric ambient tone of those songs and back to
music more in touch with the potential of his guitar playing with the songs “Arctic
Desert” and the title song. There’s a slightly unsettled, dissonant edginess
coming from “Arctic Desert” Birdsong’s audience will undoubtedly admire and
concluding the EP with its title track illustrates how thoroughly conceived
this release is for Birdsong and balances the guitar textures with equally
memorable keyboard playing. Where the Light Bends is a more than adequate
follow up to Simple Geometry and embodies for current fans and newcomers alike
Birdsong’s considerable talents. These six songs pack far more of a cumulative effect
than many full length albums and it never resorts to heavy handed methods to
achieve its desired results.
