Bird Streets - Bird Streets (2018)

Solo act, sideman, producer, and stalwart of smartly written power pop, New York's John Brodeur has been flying under the indie radar for nearly two decades, earning critical accolades and the respect of peers without ever really breaking out. After three proper solo albums and stints leading two different rock outfits, the Suggestions and Maggie Mayday, he makes his debut as Bird Streets, a new solo project that pairs him with the prodigious production and instrumental talents of power pop hero Jason Falkner (Jellyfish, Beck, the Grays). The collaboration came about during a creative vacation to Los Angeles, following the release of Brodeur's 2013 solo album, Little Hopes. With Falkner helping to shape a new set of tunes, the two set about recording between L.A. and New York over a period of two years, playing nearly all of the instruments themselves. The resulting self-titled release offers a mix of warm yet punchy songs that take cues from multiple decades of rock, from classic Beatlesque chord changes and introspective '70s singer/songwriter fare to '90s indie rock. It's not a far cry from the music Brodeur had already been making on his own, but Falkner's presence can be felt in the precision of some of the arrangements and effortless finesse of his playing. With his sweet, dusty tenor and knack for jangling hooks, Brodeur often recalls the winsome tone and melodic sense of Minneapolis brothers Matt and Dan Wilson, particularly in their post-Trip Shakespeare years. There are plenty of standouts, like the excellent "Betting on the Sun," "Direction," and the mysterious "Pretty Bones," though the sequence plays neatly as a whole. The songs on Bird Streets are arranged with the requisite clever twists, rich harmonies, and intricate guitar work that one would expect of this union, but at his core, Brodeur is a songwriter, and in that respect his attention to craft stands above all, enhanced as it is by Falkner's deft production.

Tracklist:
01. Bird Streets - Carry Me
02. Bird Streets - Betting On The Sun
03. Bird Streets - Direction
04. Bird Streets - Spaceship
05. Bird Streets - Stop To Breathe
06. Bird Streets - Thanks For Calling
07. Bird Streets - Same Dream
08. Bird Streets - Heal
09. Bird Streets - Pretty Bones
10. Bird Streets - Bullets
11. Bird Streets - Until The Crown