Teenbird’s adventurous spirit in the shape of their chosen taste in music makes their new record a great addition to the aux attached in your car and enriches your driving experience.
At this point, especially for those who have been considering themselves barely existing, it is true that winter has already been immersing within their core, and the songs within their considerable sonic palette that they met along the road become their only summer. It is rather commendable to be with these songs that have been playing constantly with whatever myriad of devices to choose from as they can now be one’s lifeline and the only things that sustain one, the most of all. Teenbird recognizes that, and consumes it greatly to their own advantage. “Who are we without the music we listen to?” It must have sprung within their psyche, this aforementioned quote, and probably based it off their new record.
An album filled with covers has been, in a way, no longer a newer thing to arise in the industry of music. There have been numerous records that have gone through looking for the great tracks made by artists who have their name etched already in billboards and music charts, and find ways to look for an angle wherein they can breathe a new life from an already existing one. Japanese-American indie singer-songwriter Mitski has once said in an interview that a cover is best made when someone was able to find a different way of telling the story that has already been told and has already been loved by a number of people. She also has divulged that, since she once covered a One Direction song with a different display of sonic experience, she has given this thought to the public that it would be much better to cover a pop song as they are easily made, palatable songs, which means, it does not need too much of a spice as it is intended for the greater mass; however, it does not necessarily mean that a pop track can never be stripped down into a much finer detail because it can be. It is all about angles, at the end of the day.
Teenbird was quite correct for following Mitski’s advice without them knowing as they have used a pop song. Take a look for example, Highway Star, a Deep Purple original, may not necessarily consider itself a pure pop song, but judging from how it was well-loved by greater amount of people, it should be deemed as such, and Teenbird treated with so much respect and reverence they did not do much about it, perhaps, for the fear that they would be slaughtered by musical conservatives or the band themselves. They did not try to even strip it off or give it a new personality. However, to say that this is a great cover is an understatement. There might be slight differences somehow, but their rendition pays their respects up to the original they become the original itself. The intensity of the vocalist’s tonal placements, the subtle nuances on some jumpy notes, and above all, the awe and enjoyment to sing the song are just things that should be taken into consideration as well to compensate with how they did not even try to do a 360° check with this particular song, finding something that needs a different morning air to breathe in.
For the whole span, they have been treating us with songs from the past, then bravely put their originally written track as the closer of the song, which is, indeed, a great placement, as if almost like a home run of some sort. It has the same qualities from the songs before this, but is written in such a way that, due to quite a shorter duration, is presented as an encore of what we have witnessed from the five tracks that we have had earlier—a final frame, slowly closing the red curtains while having the engine of the car still revving up, signifying what is next to come.
This is, indeed, not just an album filled with covers. This is, with the exception of their original track, is more than what a cover album should be—an album displaying a delectable amount of respect and reverence as if they are gods but also notwithstanding the humanistic aspect of the covered songs. Also, since this is specifically made for the cars, long highways, and road trips, Teenbird assures the new listeners that you are in it for such a ride… literally.
Follow Teenbird
About the Author
Jett interestingly seeks every supposed-to-be-life-changing almost: getting a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education, submitting a finished compilation of epistles and poems to some book publications, and releasing passion projects to audio streaming platforms. However, his inkling of his pen and his reverberating of his music, being the ones that keep him sustained in somehows, never stop him from walking to a road yet to be taken.
