Kills Birds Celebrate Their Grippingly Beautiful Debut in Los Angeles
WORDS BY JUSTIN CERVANTES
PHOTOS BY FRANK MOJICA
Kills Birds debut self-titled album is a transcendental piece of indie rock. In this half hour of unparalleled raw performance, the band fills nine tracks with powerful emotion and skill, leaving any doubt about the band’s transition from live performances to a full-length record.
Though, the word on the street is, this album was recorded in the span of eight hours to capture that raw intensity of their live performances. And captured it, they have. Kicking off with “Worthy Girl,” a slow burn into this hectic album, the band shows off it’s heavy tones and it’s light tones. For every “Volcano”-like thrasher, there’s a slower and haunting counterpart, such as “New Friend.” Though, the band measures its songs for variety, consequently shaping each track to be unpredictable rather than monotonous.
What makes the album sound so transcendental and haunting is the band’s vocalist, Nina Ljeti, and her continually shifting infliction around the track. Ranging from low whispers to powerful yells, Ljeti’s voice is like another instrument drawing out the emotion from each track. To the credit of the whole band, however, it is the synergy of each instrument, whether it be loudly layered at the forefront with each other or subtly played in the background in isolation, that set the album’s mood.
If you’re on the look for the next big thing, look no further than Kills Birds. Their self-titled album is a strong debut, but aside from being a skillful piece of work on its own, it stands to show the potential that Kills Birds can reach in its career. And to that career, we hope it’s a long one!
