After listening to this Virgin Of The Birds album more than a few times, I have to seriously wonder: are there really still people out there holding out for a “major label” deal, hoping to make over-produced records in expensive studios? There are? Wow, I thought they were just characters on reality television shows. There’s simply no reason for that mindset, and Jon Rooney’s Virgin Of The Birds is a glorious example against those silly aforementioned mindsets.

The first VOTB release, Mixed Choir, is chock full of haunting lo-fi indie rock that more than dabbles in it’s own hidden “art rock” tendencies. The art rock doesn’t seem to run past the nearly off-kilter arrangements, but while it’s pretty clear that while Rooney is into doing things in a stripped down fashion, he’s never gonna let the music, the melody, or the general atmospherics get too far out of alignment with his original vision. Also, the recordings aren’t exactly the no-fidelity recordings the teeming masses seem to equate with “lo-fi” nowadays. Nope, all the instruments are recorded and mixed clearly with more than ample room to breathe, from the unbelievable reverb tone heard in “City Falcons” all the way to the tastefully sprawling horn in “Love Song For The Silver Age Having Past”.

The best description I can offer to you is that this project - which has rarely seen stagelights - sits comfortably between the best parts of Destroyer and early Silkworm, while still retaining a beautifully original sheen. Virgin Of The Birds is phenomenal, unpredictable, and best of all… they’re making it on their own terms.

The gorgeous, half-hour long Mixed Chior is being released on Abandoned Love Records, which is a small label based out of Austin, Texas. They’ve brought you handmade releases by The Capstan Shafts, The Lovely Sparrows and Grumpy Bear, and now they’ve been nice enough to bring this nice indie band named Virgin Of The Birds into our headphones. Thank god for people that do it their own way, and double thanks for those that know that doing it yourself will simply make a better record. Amen.

Virgin Of The Birds - Sisters At The Sound Of Down.mp3

Buy your own copy of Mixed Choir from Abandoned Love!
Why not check in at the official Virgin Of The Birds site while you’re at it?