A Closer Listen
the songbird who loves me is a scrappy and unusual little project, a personal mixtape that comes across as enigmatic despite some epic overshare. (Is that really the family in the birthing room? We may never know, although Instagram has matching photos.) There are two covers, the Bandcamp photo (pictured here) and a more abstract image for iTunes. The EP unspools in a humble and endearing fashion, and wins the listener over by the end.
Nicholas Olson (Headtriiip) sets out to explore the inner workings of a child’s mind, with all of its fear and wonder. The use of the word “kaleidoscopic” is apt, as the EP stays on point despite its integration of disparate samples, many of which we suspect have been taken from family archives. Listening is the equivalent of sitting on a couch, flipping through a family album, with sounds substituted for images.
Children’s voices, birdsong and laughter are threaded throughout the recording, which is best taken in as a whole. Random references (“We have some deer antlers”) run rampant, along with samples from TV and radio programmes. Rain, ping-pong, winding toys, guitar samples and more are joined by loping beats. An early self-shoutout puts Headtriiip in the company of sample-based DJs before him; the closest relative is likely Kid Koala. The first individual track to pokes through is “bug,” partially due to the fact that it is the first track we’ve heard in a year that mentions beavers, proceeded by ALT (Abby Lee Tee)’s 2023 single of the same name. Later in the piece, an agitated hiker complains, “I’m getting attacked by a bug right now,” as if she can’t even.
Two middle pieces stand out for different reasons. “i sat on top of a mountain until it crumbled into eden” and “the stars fall above me” are spacious, flaked with shards of ambience. For a few moments, the attention shifts from the living room floor, covered with toys, to the beckoning night sky. Wind and wolves howl in the former track; bells twinkle in the latter, accompanied by the lulling voice of Kermit the Frog. The colour reference in “2000 (tachysensia)” hearkens back to Public Service Broadcasting’s ROYGBIV; it’s interesting to hear it in a calmer context.
The closing titles reference parents, grandparents and the experience of childhood. When we reminisce (even at 26), these memories come back in a haze, a few sharp and clear, the others rounded and indistinct. The EP replicates this experience through sound. While these are not our memories, they are relatable enough to produce a sense of family nostalgia. As the music plays, we can imagine the idyllic. (Richard Allen)
Sat Feb 10 00:01:44 GMT 2024