Erin McKeown - We Will Become Like Birds

Erin McKeown is inarguably gifted. Aside from playing the majority of the parts on her four studio albums, she pens melodies that seize the listener with a quirkiness that feels surprisingly cozy. Her warm vocals carry the tone of a robust lullaby; they are deeply feminine without being girlish, and they’re indispensable to her artistic allure. While her instrumentation is also crucial to listener enjoyment, it’s less vital. It’s for this reason that her new album, while not nearly as exciting as her previous releases, is still a pleasurable listen. We Will Become Like Birds was recorded in New Orleans with producer Tucker Martine (Jim White, Modest Mouse), and features duets with Argentine electronic artist Juana Molina and American singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey. At first listen, the changes in McKeown’s sound are glaring. Jazzy eclecticism has been sidelined, and nearly every track on the new LP is lacquered with 4/4 rock sensibilities. A focused approach gives the album a sense of singularity, but the jury is still out on whether or not this singularity is on par with her original genre-hopping sound. It’s not unlike the change undergone by genre-hopping kooks They Might Be Giants, a band that’s shedding their scattershot approach in lieu of a more straightforward one. While no one should be criticized for attempting a less-is-more approach to creativity, few would argue that The Spine is a more engaging album than Lincoln. Unlike They Might Be Giants, McKeown’s pipes should keep her artistic dilemmas from becoming too dire. On an instrumental level, a track like “Air” offers very little invention. It begins with four floating bars that, while pleasant, do not catch the listener off-guard. Then McKeown’s alto comes in with “Air!/ In my bones where the marrow should be./ But what I lack for guts and blood/ I make up for it in dreams./ Love!/ And you're wondering how it works./ The heart in the natural world./ It's a wonder that science can hurt.” Like any good hypnotic device, her oscillating vocal chords temporarily erase all skepticism. The hypnosis lasts until one gives Distillation another listen and realizes that its confident amalgams are sorely missing from We Will Become Like Birds. While some fans will enjoy the new album’s lucidity, others will cross their fingers that McKeown flexes her creative muscles a bit more on her next studio effort. And, of course, all fans will still enjoy her soulful live show, where the instrument-shuffling performer shines brightest. [www.erinmckeown.com]