Birds of Avalon’s self-titled album opens with a flourish of horror-movie build-up, a mélange of noise that segues into an agitated drum solo.
From there, the thrills don’t stop — if anything, Birds of Avalon’s latest is the band’s epic, a fever dream that dips in and out of reality like only the most sinuous, artful fantasies can.
To call Birds of Avalon dreamlike isn’t a stretch. The record is an exercise in acid-trip instrumentation, recalling everyone from Ravi Shankar to Led Zeppelin. On “Xaradheere,” Craig Tilley sings, “I need some drugs, got a taste for the gun/For the sake of a day in the sun,” and it’s a philosophy that pervades all 11 tracks.
The hazy ’70s quality of the band’s music is nothing new, but the new record epitomizes everything that’s worked for the Raleigh-based outfit in the past — here, the psychedelic vocals find an apt partner in shape-shifting riffs, dreamy soundscapes and visceral lyrics.
There’s madness here, but unlike some past songs, there’s always a method to it. Just when it all feels chaotic, the band reins its frenzy into a polished, effortless groove.
Any odyssey has its overwhelming moments, but Birds of Avalon’s latest will take you there and back again — just in time to realize what an epic journey you’ve just taken.
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