Album review: BIRDPEN – All Function One

JAR Records [Release date 05.03.21]

BirdPen – Dave Pen (vocals, guitar) and Mike Bird (guitars, keyboards) – are back with their sixth album, recorded during the early part of 2020 as the duo watched the global pandemic unfold. This formed the basis of the album’s lyrical themes centred around self-isolation and fear of the outside world.

First things first, this BirdPen album is a classic grower and do persevere with your listening as it is a fine piece of music. Sure, there are some instant hits like ‘Modern Junk’, as near as they get to pop in the commercial sense of the meaning. Otherwise BirdPen go down various musical avenues, taking in electronica on ‘Flames’ and the fairly weird and wonderful it has to be said on ‘Blackhole’.

‘Changes’, with its monotone vocals, is very stark and highlights how much we depend upon and are in many ways, controlled by technology. ‘Universe’ is at the more uplifting end of the scale, although to be fair it is hardly that upbeat! The hypnotic guitar on ‘Invisible’ makes this song shine, proof that BirdPen are more than just an electronica based band.

Music for the here and now, as BirdPen capture in their music and lyrics many of the fears and issues we have all faced in the past year or so, along with the growing use and depenedance of technology in our everyday lives. Worthy of your listening time. ***1/2

Review by Jason Ritchie

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)