A springtime release of Birds is what we could all use right now. Trapped in our nests with not much to do, one of our only saviors is looking forward to great music releases, especially from gifted songwriters. May 15 marks the date of Norwegian singer-songwriter’s single, Birds. Simen Mitlid is prolific and incredibly serious about the indie/folk music he writes and releases, for him, it’s personal.
His orchestrations are unique, carefully-crafted and usually accompanied by great visual art whether moving or static and Birds is no different. Mitlid, winds us through his latest creation and feeds us stream of consciousness lyrical musings at will.
Birds, after all, is lyrically superior (most of Mitlid’s music is) and based around a beautifully concocted, “woody” guitar track. This supple acoustic performance mesmerizes the listener and holds them at bay while the crafty Mitlid weaves tones of banjo and other various forms of electronica throughout; he is an expert at sneaking it in and out of the mix without much fanfare. Bass drum is introduced around the halfway point, but not your typical one, this one belongs to an orchestra because Mitlid is doing just that, orchestrating tracks rather than letting them go unabashed.
Birds is a complex piece, and the listener might be none-the-wiser initially. At first past, you may not be aware of its intricacies, but this too subsides as you peel back the various layers of the song. Birds’ beautiful vocal harmonies are of note. Production has them apparent but never attention-seeking while Mitlid’s own calming vocal delivery reminds us of his passion for all things understated and subdued.
This single will be a welcomed addition to Mitlid’s collection of the indie/folk that he’s self-producing and curating. He’s building his empire and it’s worth visiting. Birds is “something for the future”.
Creative song with a lovely, established sound!