Max Devereaux & Nelson Devereaux - Bird Of
Paradise
Release Date: 7th July 2023
I had minimal expectations for this album by brothers Max Devereaux and Nelson Devereaux but the siblings have created something of wonky beauty and that's always worth exploring. The album 'Bird Of Paradise' opens with 'Fame?' that features a peculiarly woozy guitar sound and the kind of art-rock edge that you might expect of Talking Heads, Orange Juice or Franz Ferdinand on their summer holidays. 'Losing Sight' leans more on the Jazz background of Nelson but still with that hazy vibe while 'Hearts Like Ours' feels like it was written on an evening sun drenched stoop full of faded glamour, broken hearts and forgotten dreams.
'Blue' breaks the reverie with a fuzzed up grunge-pop riff and some bone rattling beats before 'A Little Madness' takes to the piano for a lazy walk through the neighbourhood on a Sunday afternoon on the way to hang out with Eels and Ben Folds for the evening. The eclecticism and creation for the love of it is intoxicating on this album and 'Pain Like A Wheel' is a great example of this as the duo mix indie riffs with crooning vocals to create a sound that makes you want to hang around for more. The woozy disorientation of 'Sunset' sounds like a jam on a film set where they are filming a Zappa biopic while 'A Chance To Try Again' moseys out of town without any sense of urgency or direction but you have to look on with admiration and tip your hat as it passes.
Penultimate track 'Way On My Way' is a sunnily strummed slice of loveliness that was tailor made to be the music played under the credits of indie rom com and then final/bonus track 'Try' comes along like a fever dream played backwards in an abandoned fairground just to make sure you never sleep again. If you're looking for a new album to really sink your teeth in to and enjoy without being shouted at or bored out of your brains then this might just be for you. Enjoy.
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