No. 68: Mimicking Birds

Portland's Mimicking Birds are a band meant for Sunday morning. The trio just released their self-titled debut, produced by Modest Mouse's leader, Issac Brock in March of 2010, and have enjoyed a nice little run of exposure with opening spots on Modest Mouse's tour. The band was originally just guitarist Nate Lacy, and was soon joined by Aaron Hanson on drums and Tim Skellenger on guitar. The band's moniker is a fitting label for the ethereal and introspective tunes they produce. A mostly acoustic band, Mimicking Birds will no doubt draw the inevitable comparison to Bright Eyes and even though the hushed tone in which Lacy sings is reminiscent of Manchester Orchestra's Andy Hull in his quieter moments, I think their songs hold up well on their own as original works.

"We enjoy making music for scenery," Lacy says. "The sound of language and big picture issues are inspirations for our music." This statement definitely jibes with the cinematic quality of their songs, and the album's earnest tunes paint a beautiful portrait for any somber and/or triumphant scene from your life. The standout track for me is "New Doomsdays," a meandering observation of the inherent oneness of the human race in the shadow of an impending apocolypse. Hopefully the understated sounds of this band won't be drowned out by the many neighboring bands at Lolla because I think this could be a great show for anyone who enjoys beautiful songs about volcanoes and burning stars.

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