Laid back Wilco-style indie rock

The debut album from this Toledo three-piece is clearly inspired by the less-adventurous but no less pleasant corners of Wilco‰’s catalogue, a la Being There or Wilco (The Album). Featuring melodic vocals and fairly prominent piano/keyboards, the rest of the New Birds‰’s sound is filled out by some confident drumming and solid, but not heavy, guitar. The production is tight and the songwriting is effortless, evoking 70s pop/rock, but managing to sound neither cheesy nor dated. These elements culminate in “Heaven Knows,‰” a simple love song that manages to work in a string section, organ and perfect sounding guitar flourishes into one epic yet obvious ballad. It‰’s really the only time the band goes for broke, the lone 110% in a group of solid if not complacent tracks, and its followed up by to straight forward yet satisfying rockers “Mind Reader‰” and “Please Don‰’t.‰” Fine-tuned and neatly pressed, Nathan Roberts and the New Birds know what makes a good song a good song, and have no problem showing you that they do, one lushly produced track at a time.

RIYL: Wilco, The Autumn Defense, a more modern take on the American Hustle soundtrack
Recommended: 2, 3, 5, 6-8