Les Big Byrd – ‘Diamonds, Rhinestones and Hard Rain’ album review: the psychedelic visions in song
THE SKINNY: The art of psychedelia has always been a bit of a tricky tightrope to walk. Technology changes constantly, so what makes the sounds of your far-out music match up to anything that has come out of the tested Tame Impalas and Animal Collectives of the world? Whereas most artists would pitch their melodies with different structures, Les Big Byrd feels like they’re re-imagining sonic architecture entirely on Diamonds, Rhinestones and Hard Rain, building songs in real-time.
Structured like the kind of experimental projects one would expect from artists like David Bowie, the psych-rock mad scientists have created pieces that feel more like exercises than proper melodic tunes. In this case, though, that’s not a bad thing at all. Rather than try to reinvent the wheel, most of the tunes feel like they’re built to flesh out any idea they are working on. It might not hit the first time around, but as the song stretches out for its entire length, the more you start to appreciate what it’s actually doing.
Influenced by everything from disco to psych-rock to even hints of experimental jazz, the long runtimes on the album give the music a lot of room to breathe, as if the band is slowly working out the ideas in front of you until it’s this wall of noise. Even during the bite-sized segments, there are still elements of the mix that give just the right amount of ear candy before disappearing, never to be heard again.
While there are hints of lyrics across the project, this feels less like a conventional album and more the kind of sonic exhibition that you take all in one sitting, either to be enjoyed in the background or even more rewarding when you intently listen to it. Compared to the other psych-rockers that slap fuzz and reverb on everything to make songs sound finished, Les Big Byrd has created a massive wall of beauty that producers like Brian Eno or Giorgio Moroder would be proud to have taken part in.
For fans of: Those who wished Daft Punk had embraced the sounds of acid.
A concluding comment from someone with a job: “Bunch of bums in Aladdin costumes having a daft lark that I will never have time to listen to.”
Diamonds, Rhinestones, and Hard Rain track-by-track
Release Date: March 22nd | Producer: Joakim Åhlund | Label: Chimp Limb Recordings
‘Mareld’ – Rather than try to hit you over the head with a banger first, ‘Mareld’ is the kind of song that indicates what you’re going to get up to on the rest of the project. From the start of glitchy soundscapes to various synthesisers running throughout, the vocals may as well be just another instrument, considering how much they fall into the background. Standing at over ten minutes, this is one of the few psych-rock tracks that promises a journey and actually delivers on every front. [4.5/5]
‘Curved Light’ – While nothing about this album is exactly radio-friendly, ‘Curved Light’ is the most digestible version of what the album has to offer. Set to a slightly stuttering beat, the entire song chugs along with a mellow groove that feels as if a Tame Impala backing track got a remix by Daft Punk. It’s definitely not normal, but where’s the fun in being just average? [4/5]
‘Lycka Till Pa Farden’ – For all of the great soundscapes on the last few tracks, this instrumental feels like it’s treading water just a little bit. Compared to the ones before, there are still some neat ideas here, but just building on the kind of sonic foundations they were already toying with. Still, when you start off that strong, too much of a good thing is never that bad. [3.5/5]
‘Diamonds, Rhinestone, and Hard Rain’ – For a track named after the album, this is probably one of the few times where we hit a dud. There are the makings of a decent song in here somewhere, but the vocals are the biggest drawback, playing up the sarcastic image of someone full of themselves as they eye up their amazing blue eyes and blonde hair in the mirror. It may be meant as satirical, but even so, it’s not like it makes listening to this character any more insufferable. [2/5]
‘Ensam i stan pa sommarlovet’ – And from psych-rock, we move over to the genre’s moody cousin: trip-hop. Since the last few songs were about creating textures, this is a tale of two different ideas, the first of which feels like the background music of a Playstation game that never got made. Once they start to hit a groove, though, everything starts lighting up again in the back half. A nice palette cleanser and a great leadup to the grand finale. [3.5/5]
‘The Night Bus’ – If ‘Mareld’ was the epic opening scene of the album, this is the kind of grand vision that feels like the band is trying to move the genre forward. Part jazz romp, part Pink Floyd epic, ‘The Night Bus’ is the kind of song reserved for those quiet times when you’re riding your way through the empty city streets, with only a calming saxophone left to keep you company. It might be lonely on the street, but music like this is the only companion you’ll ever need. [4.5/5]
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