birdeatsbaby

"As you might imagine, Bluesbunny receives a lot of albums through the post. The vast majority of them come (unsurprisingly) in Jiffy bags. This EP from Brighton band Bird Eats Baby came in a black envelope. Opening the envelope with our customary disregard for technique caused the room to fill with black and red feathers. As we picked said feathers from our plate of chocolate digestives, we pondered the previously unconsidered health and safety issues of being a reviewer.

Safety issues were soon forgotten as we put the EP into the trusty CD player. Well, you get three tracks on this EP. Each one of them could be part of some deranged cabaret show at the Kit-Kat Club. Dramatic, even camp, these three songs show an imagination so often lacking today. The first song, "China Doll", is powered by a pumping piano and features a remarkably effective and melodramatic use of dual female vocals. Likewise, "I Always Hang Myself" is cleverly and subtly arranged but still manages to reek of cigar smoke and decadence. Going wildly over the top in best show tune fashion is "Shiver up the Spine" with the clarion call of "… a man is just a man" fading us out into the deathly silence of the night. That mournful violin just seemed so appropriate too.

It is good to see a sense of the dramatic in a band. Too often these days style is confused with expensive haircuts and Rolex watches. Bird Eats Baby have style aplenty and the musical abilities to back it up as well. Bluesbunny is very impressed both with the band's music and even with the actual recorded sound. Perhaps there will be an album soon? We hope so. For now, surely it is time for another bottle of champagne. And another song." - Bluesbunny.com

"Birdeatsbaby is a young, mostly female, dark cabaret act with a classical rock opera slant from Brighton. Think what Queen would have done if they had been Absinthe drinking pals with Van Gogh at the Moulin Rouge and you won't be too far off.

Their debut EP, 'China Doll', was sent to me with a collection of red and black feathers, which was a nice touch. They weren't to know that my cat has a lethal allergy to feathers. Never mind. I never liked that cat anyway.

The title track most suits the dark cabaret rock opera tagline, with its various changes and piano-driven forward gear and powerful singing. Very dramatic and I'm sure Freddy Mercury is crying somewhere with the pompous beauty of it all. Only sometimes do I feel that the storyline just has too many syllables for the music to keep up with. For the most part, I'm there happily for the ride.

More successful, I feel, are the other two tracks on the EP. I love the title of track 2, 'I Always Hang Myself With the Same Rope,' which I can relate to somehow. The track itself is more rock then the others, but the piano and string backing give it that cabaret feel that threads its way through the whole recording.

The EP ends with the lilting off-kilter waltz, 'Shiver up my Spine.' I can't help but imagine an Adam's Family sing-a-long around the piano. Cousin It, Morticia, et al could only dream of this passionate sound, however.

All in all, Birdeatsbaby tread that dangerous ground of music versus theatre; camp versus passion; humour versus quality, and they do it rather well. I'm very curious to see what they're like live. This is something you can do at the Purple Turtle in Camden on June 1."

- Moose Factory

Birdeatsbaby is an eclectic ensemble of cabaret types that would look perfect at home at a burlesque show. But the weird and wonderful is something to be admired by everyone. With classical influences like Queen and Dresden Dolls, the bizarre but beautiful band delivered a powerful heartbreaking set of emotionally enthused orchestral sounds. A cello, a violin, a bass and drums coloured gorgeous lead singer Mish’s pianos and vocals, completing Birdeatsbaby truly unique and stunning melodies. - Surfaceunsigned.co.uk

"I have reviewed them once before so I will explore a different avenue if you will and explain what I felt rather than what I saw. Birdeatsbaby have this vibe which is almost unexplainable. As if a legion of lost souls has possessed the stage with their music and their makeup & attire creating the illusion of some black parade style clique. You sense their friendship shining through each song as the harmonies seem to connect the invisible strings that hold them all together." - Surfaceunsigned.co.uk

Though the Dresden Dolls and Emilie Autumn have atracted considerable grand scale attention to the Dark Cabaret movement in recent years it hasn't as yet achieved the high visibility further down the music food chain which is usually the knock on effect of a few success stories from any hot-tip genre. The chief reason for this must be that, while for local bandwagon hoppers of the 80's it didn't take much more than a haircut and a few new chords to switch from glam to grunge, or come the new millennium pop punk to emo, it really does require a serious dedication to this stuff t either teach yourself the requite talents or tirelessly trawl musicians ads or comrades who can deliver the right haunting violin tone, maudlin piano melody or chilling chartreuse song. Brighton's Birdeatsbaby, one of the few start-up bands of this sound that i've heard trumps on all three counts, finding a frontwoman in Mishkin Mullaly who tinkles the ivories to perfection and could knock 'em dead on broadway with her camped up caterwauling. and knock 'em dead she probably would, on the evidence of sinister song of deathly cold babies 'China Doll'.
- Bubblegum Slut Fanzine.

These songs are alive with infectious potential, little trophies and things.. - Organ Magazine

I loved your music!! Great job on every aspect of it. The playing , the arrangements, the drumming, the voices....you guys are doing great work, please stick to it and keep up the hard work. It is really paying off big time. I'm really proud of you guys. - Independent review

"...like a group of spurned sunday school teachers exacting their musical revenge.." - Solid Air Promotions.