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Birdeatsbaby describe themselves as an "Alt-classical prog-punk act". I am not sure what that means, but after listening to their latest single and poking around on their website a bit, i think it means they are goths who play old timey music. Think Jeffrey Bützer with a Bauhaus fetish and female vocalist, and you will be pretty close to the mark.
From what i can tell, the band is the project of Mishkin Fitzgerald, who (aside from having an awesome name) plays piano and sings. Her vocal style is pretty classical, she more or less speaks her words clearly, only occasionally stretching out the sounds. This emphasizes the lyrical content of the songs, which may or may not work for you.
Mishkin (on the website she goes by her first name only) is backed up by drums, bass, and violin. The overall effect of the band's music is very much like Atlanta's own Jeffrey Bützer and the Bicycle Eaters, only slightly more melancholy and with female voice. They have that same sort of "old timey" feel, and if you like that sort of thing, i think Birdeatsbaby have a lot to offer.
This is a digital single to a song off of their second full-length, Feast of Hammers. As such, i do not know if it is really appropriate to talk of A-side and B-side, since i am not sure this single exists in a physical form anywhere. At least, the first song is from the album and the second song is not, which is kind of typical of the single format, so let's just cram this object into the existing framework and be done with it.
The A-side is Anchor, which consists largely of Mishkin singing very precisely and somewhat subdued, almost lost in the rumbling piano at times. After a bit, the song picks up with some nice violin work and the drummer playing fast. The song shows Mishkin's voice to great effect. I find the drumming, which at times is almost drum-n-bass fast, to be a little odd, but i guess it works in the context of the tune.
The B-side is Hanging Tree, and is not that different of a tune -- the piano rolls along and Mishkin sings clearly about, well, lynching. Her voice seems closer, more personal than on the previous song, as if she is confiding something to you. The combination of the lyrical content and the confessional closeness are kind of creepy, which i guess makes sense for a band who decorates their website with skulls of themselves... Towards the end, other voices join in, harmonizing behind Mishkin for a lovely effect.
So, this is not a bad single at all. Birdeatsbaby are not breaking any new ground, but they do make a good tune, and that girl can sing.
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