London – Lovers Know is the third album from Laura Burhenn’s solo project, The Mynabirds. The first thing that strikes you about the new record is that it is as divergent as the first two were from each other. Her 2010 epigrammatically titled debut, What We Lose In the Fire We Gain in The Flood, was a highly charged melange of white gospel tinged soul with measures of blues and country thrown in; an album that looks back to her musical roots. Burhenn followed it two years later with Generals, a clearly focused political protest song cycle played out through a heady mix of torch song, garage rock and even dance tunes. Both records marked Burhenn as an artist who brings an individual personality and voice to her work.
Lovers Know starts a new chapter in her development. Taking a cue from its title, it is a set of songs about love knitted together with a different vibe, mixing electronic samples and a small dose of R&B in with warped guitar and vocal effects. The result is a musical collage that is honest, open and engaging. After a stint touring as a backing vocalist with Bright Eyes and The Postal Service, Burhenn took off on road trips across the US and toured South Africa solo while writing this album. As a mirror to her journeys, recordings took place in disparate settings – Los Angeles, Nashville, Joshua Tree and finally Auckland, New Zealand – with rookie producer Bradley Hanan Carter of Black English.
This location hopping prepares you for songs that effortlessly take you along for the ride or stop you in your tracks to admire their beauty. The bright pop of “Semantics” fits the former category. “You know I always feel half crazy / A roman candle at the water’s edge / I’ve played with fire / Keeps me warm”) sings Burhenn, tipping a hat to those who still inspire her to live the fullest life.
Equally accessible is a song like “Orion” which begins like a Coldplay song and develops as an episodic ballad with punctuation supplied by a synth phrase and a guitar riff which kicks it off and later fuels an extended coda. Elsewhere the stark beauty of “Omaha” is a beacon to stop and stare. There are very few if any missteps and it would be easy to single out other songs to highlight facets of this engaging songstress.
As with any artist, some reference points spring to mind when considering Laura Burhenn’s sensibilities; she shares a restless seeker’s receptivity with Sharon Van Etten, and can echo a Lana Del Rey with a less wearied drawl and more gravitas. At times there is a touch of Kate Bush about her innovative approach. She stands out as someone with a balanced and positive world view; one who sees love as a human essential and is not afraid to bare her emotions and start over the search for love in the face of losing it. “I don’t regret a thing” she declares on the opening song of twelve, “All My Heart”. By the time we reach song 11, the album hits something of an epic crescendo with the final two songs, “Hanged Man” and “Last Time”.
Burhenn is at her most vulnerable on the brittle opening verses of “Hanged Man” where the month of August becomes a symbol for the fragility of love but the way her voice rises and strengthens in the choruses reflect a genuine realisation and consequent empowerment. It’s an outstanding song which provides a perfect lead in for the gently percussive circle-squaring of “Last Time”. On an album where the nuances of language are central to so many of the songs, it is fitting that “Last Time” plays out to distant samples of radio surfing.
Go HERE for more on Laura Burhenn’s solo project, The Mynabirds.
Tony Hardy
Tony’s great passion in life is music and nothing gives him more pleasure than unearthing good, original new music and championing independent musicians. His association with Best New Bands brings great opportunities for this. He also writes for Consequence of Sound and is a judge for Glastonbury Festival’s Emerging Talent Competition.
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