Brown Bird @ Sail Inn

David Lamb and MorganEve Swain — the duo that makes up indie band Brown Bird — made a left turn last month with the release of Fits of Reason. The electric guitar that joins their metal, rock, and even Middle Eastern influences isn't the only surprise on the band's latest...

By Brian Palmer

May 16, 2013

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18478561",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "16759093",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759092",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759094",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        }
      ]

David Lamb and MorganEve Swain — the duo that makes up indie band Brown Bird — made a left turn last month with the release of Fits of Reason. The electric guitar that joins their metal, rock, and even Middle Eastern influences isn't the only surprise on the band's latest record. There's also a renewed examination of heavyweight issues: Fits of Reason is a discourse about faith, life, death, and whatever comes afterward. "Barren Lakes" joins its Middle East-meets-funk sound to an examination of faith, blind devotion, and the potentially vain search for answers, and the album is dotted with apocalyptic religious imagery ("Bow for Blade") and Biblical references ("Abednego") throughout. There's even a song named for Christopher Hitchens. Lamb and Swain's vocals complement each other nicely in time with the hypnotic, sometimes slightly kooky sounds they create, and there's nothing morbid about their songs or their sound. But they will, if nothing else, get you thinking about your own mortality.

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Phoenix New Times has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.