#bronycomms

REVIEW

Just when I thought there wouldn't be any way Shadrow'd be able to top Equinomicon (Dusty Love), he certainly was able to prove me wrong with this new instant classic.

Shadrow definitely takes a big step up in terms of both lyrical & musical production with this song when compared to the material previously released on Tumbln.

- Lyrical Themes

Despite the song being called Birdhouse, the overall concept concerns a "shapeless twisting evil beast" from down below who's kept away from humanity due to it's allergic reactions to/fear of light.

Despite the minor lack of comedic themes expressed in this song, I wouldn't call it a complete lyrical departure from the comedic styles of Tumbln. 'Cause the lyrical concepts still contain the frequent unusual/impossible settings Tumbln.'s most notable for. It's just that this time, Shadrow decided to compose the lyrics in more complex manner.

Which really makes you wonder if this song was written simply to have a fictitious monster involved or to use symbolic metaphors to raise awareness of certain important subject matters (e.g. a nonexistent common terrorizing fear/phobia/factor in our modern economy/world issues, represented by "the monster") that can easily be prevented with positivity (represented by "light").

As a result, the overall meaning behind this song is a lot harder to decode [especially when the song's titled Birdhouse (& fuckin' Shadrow's even teasing us by encouraging us to guess why it's called that!)] when compared to the more direct writing structure used throughout Tumbln. Which was definitely a clever & impressive move, if you ask me.

It really shows how much Shadrow's creativity has boosted.

- Vibes

This song definitely brings out a strong "summer anthem" vibe. Which leads to another important factor in terms of Shadrow's magnificent songwriting skills.

It really shows that despite the currently cold weather conditions in Australia, it doesn't render Shadrow incapable of writing & releasing groovy summer jams for everyone else around the world to enjoy.

This is astounding since it reveals that Shadrow won't let his current surroundings affect the quality of his material & will continue to do whatever he truly puts his heart & mind to.

- Highly Improved Sound Quality [Pt. 1]

Another point I'd like to share is of course, the music quality.

Shadrow has frequently complained about his music in the past due to it's lack of sound quality & overall clarity. Something I've actually noticed but didn't deduct any points for in my Tumbln. review due to "It wasn't that much of a bother for me; Considering it's a debut album & all" reasons. He still does with this song. But for me, there's definitely a big step up in terms of clarity/sound quality.

To the extent in the which the 100% approved final mix sounds like how it would if it was released on a physical CD from a major record label.

- New Implementations Of Electronic Elements

Throughout the course of writing & recording this song, Shadrow took an indefinite hiatus from composing lyrical material in order to focus on experimenting with more electronic musical productions (e.g. usage of synths). Which were very enjoyable but are yet to be confirmed to be on the upcoming album.

That being said, Shadrow's new implementations of such styles in his music were very impressive.

- A Departure From The Notable Sounds Of Tumbln.?

Now just 'cause there's new keys & synths put into play doesn't mean the vintage styles of Tumbln. that old-school Shadrow fans have once enjoyed aren't gone for good. Matter of fact, it seems like they're here to stay.

For those who aren't aware, Tumbln. had a very significant use of guitars, bass & drums. Which resulted in it having a very rock-driven sound. Not only does this song still implement those particular instruments, but Shadrow also ensures that they're not overshadowed by his new implementations of synths & keys in the final mix.

An example is the synth breakdown after the 2nd chorus. While it was strategically captivating & very enjoyable, it was put in a short burst while still giving listeners a chance to enjoy the catchy guitars, drums & bass that Shadrow's notable for.

So to quote what Nile Rodgers said about Daft Punk's approach with Random Access Memories, Shadrow went back to go forward.

In other words, he took a step back from continuously producing his notable rock songs in order to experiment with electronic elements that were significantly missing from his previous material. & went forward by implementing those experimentations into his new material while still keeping that old-school rock style he's notable for significant throughout the process in the final mix.

- Guitar & Vocals

Complimenting Shadrow's flawless vocals & guitar playing should never go unnoticed but won't be a concern that'll receive a lot of praise this time around. 'Cause we all know those were some of Shadrow's greatest musical skills that were very significant throughout the course of Tumbln.

To rephrase, I believe I've praised Shadrow's vocals & guitar playing (as shown in my review of his debut album) to an extent in which I can't find any more words that can make them sound any more awesome than they already are.

I might as well go more in-depth with the bass & drums since they unfortunately weren't as significant as the vocals & guitars on Tumbln. due to reasons that'll be specified in the section following "Bass & Drums".

But before I move on, I wanna take time to heavily praise the repetitive "la-la-las" Shadrow sings after each chorus throughout the song. His joyfully pleasant voice really brings a nostalgically optimistic & cheerful vibe that goes really well with the summer vibe I've mentioned before.

- Bass & Drums

If the bass didn't make your panties drop on Equinomicon, I can easily ensure that they're gonna drop with this song. & if they already did on the previous song but not to an extent in which they've hit the floor, they will now.

Same thing goes for the drums. They definitely had better definition & significance to an extent in which you could hear them much clearer than how they sounded on Equinomicon.

Especially throughout the choruses. Where Shadrow goes into all-out rage mode & heavily pounds on several toms, snares & cymbals with pure passion & intensity.

So why is it so important to give more praise to the bass & drums this time around?

- Highly Improved Sound Quality [Pt. 2]

As previously mentioned, the final mixes of the songs on Tumbln. didn't have quality that was as superior as this song. Which resulted in not having super loud bass & drums in the final mix & unfortunately made them easily overshadowed by the vocals & guitars.

Of course, a year has passed & based on my assumptions (as well as evidence shown in this photo), Shadrow's saved up enough money to obtain better recording equipment &/or software to ensure that there's better quality control.

So taking all my compliments concerning the better significance, clarity & unity of all the instruments combined with Shadrow's vocals within this certain song, it really proves that Shadrow's control of the overall sound quality has vastly improved compared to his previous material.

& that's obviously a good thing since I've already mentioned that the final mix sounds the same as, if not vastly similar to CD quality. Which really creates an illusion that makes listeners believe that the musical production of this song was recorded & mixed in an expensive professional recording studio. 

- Overall Musical Style/Genre

Taking all the musical instruments previously mentioned under consideration & in summarization, Shadrow's new song contains frequent experimentations of keys & synths along with significant uses of acoustic guitar, bass & drums.

Which results in it having strong influences of heavy electronic indie rock, as Shadrow's already mentioned with Lemon Demon's song Something Glowing.

CONCLUSION

Shadrow's occasional experimentations with electronic musical production while taking an indefinite hiatus from writing lyrical material were really worth hearing this addictively infectious, enjoyable, catchy & anthemic summer jam with mysteriously adventurous & surprisingly funny lyrical themes that'll definitely leave you with a huge grin on your face & constantly hitting a "replay" button.

PLUGS

Follow Shadrow via:

YouTube

Tumblr

SoundCloud

BandCamp

Also, show some love to his 2 other current projects alongside Fertro:

BronyComms

OzBalls

& most importantly ...

Purchase his debut album:

Caught Off-Guard

OVERALL SCORE

5 / 5