Thomas Paine once said, "reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to
whatever is dictated to it". Brown Bird's new self-produced release,
Fits of Reason, raises its hat to Mr. Paine in a flurry of cerebral
themes that surface in the album's eleven songs.
The band's two members, David Lamb and MorganEve Swain, continue to
build their sound from the foundations of blues and American roots
music, utilizing the simple foot-percussion, violin, cello and upright
bass that they have become known for, while expanding Swain's vocal
presence and flaunting Lamb's lyrical mastery. Recorded in their
home-state of Rhode Island at Machines With Magnets, Fits of Reason is
inspired by the writings of Omar Khayyam, Christopher Hitchens, and
Plato, among others, and grapples with the human condition in a smooth
but unapologetic departure from the band's previous release, Salt for
Salt. With the introduction of electric guitar, electric bass, and a
more prominent display of the band's Middle Eastern, metal, and
psych-rock influences, Fits of Reason delves into heavier territory
and invites the listener to hear with discerning ears.
Brown Bird spent most of 2012 on the road, supporting Trampled By
Turtles, The Devil Makes Three, Yonder Mountain String Band and Horse
Feathers, and wowed the crowd at the Newport Folk Festival with their
first main-stage appearance. The band will continue criss-crossing the
US in 2013, with a full US tour planned in April, and an appearance
scheduled at the Sasquatch Festival. Fits of Reason will be released
on Supply & Demand Music on April 2nd, 2013.
