The Wooden Birds - Magnolia

Andrew Kenny is the master of a particular kind of subtlety, creating songs that aren’t sparse, but sheepish; they’re polite and contemplative no matter how many bass lines or guitar parts might sneak in. This could describe his work with American Analog Set, whose more droney and exploratory sound simmers at inoffensive tones, but on his new outfit The Wooden Birds’ debut Magnolia he sheds the drumset and organ hum for guitar slaps and unwavering maraca. Ola Podrida’s David Wingo and Lymbic System’s Michael Bell contribute to the lineup, along with Leslie Sisson, whose equally subtle, but nicely harmonizing vocals enrich the songs and bring them a sort of Sam Beam-and-his-sister quality. The Wooden Birds also recall Iron & Wine in their whispery, delicate words over consistent beat and an overwhelming sense that their purveyors are polite.

The majority of Magnolia’s tracks adopt a ploppy cowboy tempo, reminiscent of a steady, wandering horse trot and evoking myriad Old West associations. Clip-clop percussion and steady maraca shake suggest steadfast movement, and Kenny’s acoustic strums over treading, panting bass drive the feeling home. He’s quite the trustworthy narrator, his smooth and courteous voice similar to Ben Gibbard’s with hints of Neil Young and Kevin Drew. Some of the best melodies are in “Hometown Fantasy,” where Sisson fills out a hopeful yet doomed relationship tale, and “Anna Paula’s” musings on adolescence, a subject visited often on the album. The Wooden Birds inevitably create a mood, a soothing background for long drives, summer nights, or a quiet evening in the comfort of home, and in doing so come off as pretty dang charming.