Search - Birdhouse Gourds :: Ohio

A visit to 'Ohio'

F. T. Popiel | Columbia Station, OH | 11/16/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Lots of CD projects are hard to categorize into the musical genres we all recogmize, but as I listen to 'Ohio' I am transported back to the days of Buffalo Springfield and the Kinks. Folk Rock is about as close as I can come to pigeonholing the sound of the Birdhouse Gourds. Sometimes raw, sometimes folky, these songs take you on an emotional cruise through dark and stormy waters ('Stupid Party'), mysterious channels ('Just Around the Bend') and finally peaceful seas ('November's Gone'). The Birdhouse Gourds capture the guitar sounds of the early British invasion and their guitars provide an interesting counterpoint to the plaintive vocals and introspective lyrics. With all these references to classic rock, why do I prefix the word 'folk' to their sound? Just listen to the acoustic guitar and mandolin tracks carving their way through the mix and see in which of your CD racks you slot these birds. Just keep it on top of the stack for repeated listening though - after two listens I was hooked."

Rock & Roll with a Melody (and Harmony)

DMR | Ohio USA | 11/23/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"From the jangly intro to "Irene" to the road-trip fun of "Just Around the Bend" to the lazy coolness of "November's Gone," the listener is hard-pressed to brand this as an all-or-nothing pop or rock venture. The strongest track is "That Girl" with its catchy tempo, powerpop harmonies and memorable lyrics. (It's one of those songs that you find yourself humming two hours after you last listened to it.)



The production style is laid back and unpretentious, without a prepackaged label-stylized sound.



An all-around excellent effort."