If Trinity-Bellwoods Park is the spot where Torontonians while away late-summer afternoons, then local four-piece Birds of Bellwoods ought to be considered the park’s de facto house band. Combining good-timey country-inspired rock with delicate, Deep Dark Woods-esque folk, the band’s EP showcases boundless energy. It brims with youthful enthusiasm, enough to seduce passersby.
The ragged harmonies are the band’s calling card, as on the thumping Roll Your Stone. They stuff their songs full of rapid-fire lyrics, a barrage of acoustic guitars and vocals that could stretch across the entire park. Sure, Stevie Joffe’s pipes get a little nasally at times, but that’s part of their charm. And for when the sun sets, they slow things down with the introspective Sky.
The five tracks aren’t exactly heady, but they’re inviting and present a glimpse of a promising young act.
Top track: Sky
Birds of Bellwoods play Lee’s Palace on Thursday (August 13) and open for Groenland at the Gladstone Hotel on Friday (August 14).
