Review by: Bob Alderdice
I love it when a band has style. Sometimes, I think that we shy away from image too easily in punk rock nowadays. I have to admit, I’ve done it myself in the past; a band comes onstage in leather jackets or face paint and I immediately discount them as ‘rock stars’ or ‘posers’ (excluding Send More Paramedics, they were just plain awesome). Why though? What’s wrong with a bit of drama or a bit of production? After all, we’re paying to be entertained, right?
This is where Night Birds come in. Check out the front of this record; no abstract illustration or design for this cover, just four dudes looking cool as fudge! Flick through the hand scrawled lyric sheet and you’ll find their songs littered with b-movie references, horror stories and even Woody Allen quotes, all interspersed with juvenile doodles and blood drips. Thematically, it all ties in. There’s style in this band, and before I even played the cd, I knew I would like them (how can you not like a band when they write a song about seminal 80s sci-fi classic They Live?).
Thankfully, Night Birds didn’t let me down! They belt out 13 tracks of 80s inspired hardcore surf punk which isn’t a world away from the likes of Agent Orange or The Dead Kennedys. It’s fast, snotty and catchy as hell. It demands to be played and replayed, so much so that I have had to prise it out of my car stereo and conceal it in the depths of my glove box in the fear that I will burn out on it.
Another Side of Darkness is a great record, consistent in style, sound and quality and I’m pretty sure that it’s going to wind up on my top 10 list this year. I strongly advise you to put it on your wishlist and enjoy a late halloween party this Christmas, you won’t be disappointed.
Now, I’m going to track down their 7”s (because you know a band like this must have put out some belting 45s) and mourn the fact that I didn’t go see them on their recent UK / European tour. I might even dig out my VHS copy of that old Rowdy Roddy Piper classic, They Live. Put on the glasses!!!