Echo Scale™: 3.4/5 ★★★☆☆
From Sunday Brunches to the Basement: A Milwaukee Hatching
Let’s be honest, I’m a sucker for a band with a good origin story and Obscure Birds’ roots are as Milwaukee as cheap beer and bar bands. Picture it: a drunken pub chat in 2016, a half-serious idea about forming a Sunday brunch cover act, and the next thing you know, four blokes with over two centuries of music nerdery between them are holed up writing tunes and swapping war stories.
Obscure Birds might just be a gang of old lads who don’t know when to quit. Or maybe they’re international CEOs slumming it in thrift shop gear, desperate to capture some barroom authenticity between board meetings. Either way, they’ve somehow funneled decades of music-listening into a debut album that aims for “handcrafted, small-batch, artisan Americana” and honestly, at times, they absolutely nail it.
What Happened? (The Short and Long Version)
So, what’s the story? Three Milwaukee musicians get together in 2016, jam out a bunch of covers and originals in Jay’s living room, add a drummer, and start gigging. The line-up rounds out with Rob joining in 2017 after a fateful chat at Spoof Fest. After some demo sessions, sporadic shows, and a firm decision to focus on original music, they finally booked studio time in October 2022. Hatch is the result nine tracks that, as the band themselves admit, “may take a while.” They’re not wrong.
Let’s Talk Sound
Obscure Birds have been described as everything from “post-retro psych alt-country folk sub-prog classic rock” to “Americana with a Tom Waits hangover.” For me, there are moments where the influences shine bits of Spector, dashes of R.E.M., a dash of LOW’s slowcore wrapped up in a distinctly Milwaukee sort of bar band honesty. The musicianship? Genuinely impressive. The vocals? Well, we’ll get there…
Track by Track – The Honest Feed
Unhinge
Let’s start bold: the bass line is fat and proud, guitars jangle along, the tempo’s steady and the arrangements are genuinely tasty. The guitar solo lifts the whole thing. But I’ll be honest vocally, it doesn’t do much for me. The line just doesn’t pull me in.
Three Are Real
Interesting opening here guitar and bass in the pocket, drums driving but never busy. It’s a nicely written song, but again, I find the vocals pretty drab. The musicianship’s there, but the voice leaves me cold.
Now You’re Gone
This one kicks off with a vocal motif before dropping into a more bluesy rock feel. The vocals have a bit more grit and are set further back in the mix, with harmonies that really help. I like this style, though the mix is a bit muddy. Still, it’s a step up.
Absence
Loved the little brass intro and that static genuinely cool touch. Guitar comes in all mysterious, bass joins just over a minute in, but then it’s back to those dreary vocals. They’re clearly aiming for dreamy, but it just doesn’t land. It’s a shame, because the ideas are solid.
Jezebel
A bit more uptempo with a slight swing. I’ll say it: the singer sounds drunk here, but the band themselves are tight as anything. The bass player’s a standout rock solid on every track so far and I like the arrangement a lot.
When The Wind Blows
This one opens with a relaxing vibe. Guitar shines, bass is strong as ever, but as soon as the vocals come in, it takes the shine off what could’ve been a great song. There are good ideas here, but it just doesn’t hit for me.
Rubber Bullet
Can’t say anything about this one it wouldn’t play for me. Maybe it’s a hidden gem, maybe it’s cursed. Who knows.
Sunday Morning
Here’s where things start to work. Bright acoustic guitar, drums and vocals come in, and for once the vocals actually fit the more upbeat numbers definitely suit the singer better. This is actually a really nice track. Still the same vocal tone, but the mood is less drab and more inviting.
Air
Eerie sounds to start. Musicianship is top notch solid bass again, drums do exactly what they need to without ever overplaying. But once again, those drab vocals return, and it’s a shame, because there are so many good qualities elsewhere. I just can’t get on board with the execution.
The Good, The Meh, and The “Take My Headphones Off” Moments
Look, there’s a lot to like here. The band can really play bass and guitar in particular shine throughout, and the drummer knows his role, never flashy but always locked in. Arrangements are clever, ideas are interesting, and when it all comes together (see: “Sunday Morning”), it really works.
But here’s the catch: the vocals just don’t hold up their end on most of the record. They work best on the more upbeat tracks, but drop the tempo and it quickly turns drab and dreary. It actually drags down the impressive musicianship bubbling underneath. When it clicks, it’s great; when it doesn’t, I find myself feeling a bit depressed. There are moments that are genuinely great, but also a few where I just had to take my headphones off and reset.
Should You Give Hatch a Spin?
If you’re after solid Americana with some left-field twists and a band who clearly love what they do, Hatch is definitely worth a go. The musicianship is consistently strong, the arrangements have flair, and there are a few shining moments that make it all worthwhile. Just be prepared for vocals that are more hit-and-miss than soaring, and an overall experience that’s sometimes more grey sky than golden sunrise.
Echo Scale™: 3.4/5 ★★★☆☆
Great playing, great ideas, just needs a bit more vocal spark to really take flight.
