Review: Brown Bird, The Devil Makes Three, Wooden Dinosaur - Pawtucket RI 5.19

By Brian Hodge

Dave Lamb has got some striking ink.

The bearded singer (and guitarist and percussionist) of Brown Bird boasts sailing ships, dark bands and other interesting designs. But the most captivating piece resides on the lengths of his fingers, between his first and second knuckles.

It is there you can see the word “COME” clearly scrawled down his hand, the ‘c’ beginnning on the index and the word unapologetically creeping towards the pinky.  On his opposite hand lives the word “HOME.”

Put together, it’s a pretty powerful missive.

The duo are based out of Rhode Island but they recently looked quite at home on multiple instruments, percussive kick-drums and their barnstorming brand of outlaw folk-rock.  Their blending of distant influences (delta blues, eastern European) has allowed them to travel far and wide, but at the Met Cafe in their native Rhode Island, the pair looked glad to be home amongst friends and family, releasing their new EP.

The Sound of Ghosts continues the bands bold, upward trajectory, building upon the dark, engrossing Devil Dancing.  The four track effort features a Lamb’s solid baritone voice in full, confident force.  Morgan Eve Swain (violin, cello, upright bass) sounds more assured in both her fiddling and her vocals, particularly on the brisk “Cast No Shadow.”

(She is also more than capable in laying down the groove on the upright bass.  Check “Bilgewater” for proof.)

Brown Bird - Bilgewater

“Rat Tail” is a bluesy tune that takes a worms-eye view of the Rhode Island shipyard and the aforementioned “Cast No Shadow” carries over their effective sing-a-long sorrowful choruses.  All together, The Sound of Ghosts steps with the livelier pulse of a well-seasoned outfit poised for larger leaps.

The pair also played a new song from their full length album due out this fall.  It had a cinematic, Middle Eastern bazaar flair with the violin substituting for a sitar sound.

Put simply, if Brown Bird continues to make records - and put on shows - as good as these, you may want to catch them while they’re still around, lest you be the ones imploring them to come home.  They still have a few more Rhode Island dates on the books, including the Newport Folk Festival.  These dates (as well as their new EP) can be found here.

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The Silks opened the evening with dance-friendly southern soul that owed a sly smile to Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Wooden Dinosaur were next with honest, earnest folk music.  The lyrics of Michael Roberts were well-suited for the bands gently rolling swells and choruses.  The jazziest tunes were graceful and rife with Dixieland motifs, led by the melodic trumpet of Craig Barowsky (even if a bit hobbled by a foot injury.)

The Devil Makes Three were the third act and boasted a raucous followin.  The trio cranked out punk-infused folk music, sounding a bit like if Robert Johnson went down to the crossroads and came back with a new tattoo.

Comments

[INDY INDIE]

Only recently discovered website. Have enjoyed nearly everything I've found. Thanks. Do some digging and check out one of Indy's local favorites "Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band". No way associated with them, just love catching them live. Can find them anywhere from bluegrass festivals to Sturgis bike rally to the Warp Tour. "The Rev" on guitar backed by washboard (some times flaming) and drummer with simple snare and pickle barrel. Can whip a crowd of kids or bikers into a frenzy.