Kunzite – Birds Don’t Fly

Variety of noise, one message

Birds Don’t Fly is the debut album of Kunzite, a collaboration between Mike Stroud of Ratatat and White Flight’s Agustin White. Recorded, mixed and produced by the duo, the album is a reflection of the madness and friendship shared by the two men. Their lyrical focus is on staying young and continuing to move beyond the past in blissful terms. Rather than using bitter terminology, the two employ active language to convey their message of encouragement and zeal. All throughout the album are references to the jubilation of madness and the freedom of life, uniting the album in the warm glow of rejoicing the bliss of life.

Recorded across the globe, the album features a variety of sounds and ideas. With recording sessions ranging from Hawaii to India, the duo clearly drew inspiration from the wild diversity of life around them. While tracks like “Early Riser” and “Avalanche” are more guitar-focused, tracks such as “Frog City” are homages to a past with 8-bit sounds acting as a clear influence. On the opening track “Vapors,” there is yet another unique approach, one more rooted in indie pop. The duo is able to successfully pull off this wide range of sound due to the consistency of production and their repetition of lyrics focusing on the exhilaration of a positive existence.

Setting the tone of the album, the duo opens with the dreamy lines “All around you / Elevated higher nature / Go young don’t fade / Can’t nobody pin you down.” Similarly, on “Early Riser” they chant “We don’t wanna get caught / In the traps of yesterday / Why should we ever hesitate.” Later, on “Avalanche” the pair calls out “Lover leave your light on / And brighter if you can.” The unity in lyrics is what lets the album exist as a wonderful electronic pop experience, despite shifts in sound throughout the songs.

Kunzite promises to bring more music to us this year at a time when many could use the positive escape the most and at a time when the majority of major releases seem to be focused on the bitterness of the world. Keep an eye out for their next release to see if it maintains a similar tone and the same eclectic collection of sounds.