CD Review: MISTER AND SUNBIRD – The Anatomy Of Mister And Sunbird

Shane | 4 December 2014 | Reply

CD Review: MISTER AND SUNBIRD – The Anatomy Of Mister And Sunbird
Independent
November 2014
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
7.5/10

Strap yourself in for an eclectic ride – there’s nothing formulaic about Mister And Sunbird!

Inhabiting a hazy, smoke-filled netherworld where proggy conceptualism marches shoulder to shoulder with avant lounge lizard jazz and an ever-present, understated rock edge, Mister And Sunbird even pepper their tunes with the occasional Beefheartian gruff growl.

Think that’s a heady sounding brew? Throw in some Harry Connick Jr-styled swing, all manner of wind and stringed instruments (some recorded as far afield as Barcelona and New York), some ska-styled bounce and a plaintiff country heart, and you might be getting closer to the undefinability of this outfit.

With thirteen tracks divided into four chapters – Bones, Blood, Body and Brain (The Anatomy Of… geddit?) – there’s plenty of fun to be had as the mood ebbs and flows up and down, especially on Rockin’ In The Soft Parade, Girls Don’t Like Rhyme and I Gave Myself Up To the River.

It all becomes a bit TOO hip – and a bit too soft, for that matter – for this old rock dog, but the talent on show is undeniable from conception through to execution, and The Anatomy Of… hands down achieves its lofty ambitions to create something pretty darned unique.

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