Warning: If you hate the environment, animals, and/or crying, please don’t watch this. So, Bowerbirds. So good. The earthy folkers have always deeply impressed in concert, song, vocation, and now in video. They strike me as an authentic sort, hearts firmly lodged in pen and voice, etc., and so there’s always that extra bit of gravitas involved when I hear Hymns For A Dark Horse. The great “In Our Talons” stands out in particular as the rare sort of environmentalist tune that can effectively crawl under the thickest, most pro-industrial skins. Although the picture it paints is devastating — beetles looking for refuge in crippled trees, branches begging the ocean to save them from drowning — Phil ends by addressing our “cousins” in nature somewhat hopefully:
You’re in our headlights, frozen, and no, we are not stopping.
You may not believe, but even we were scared at first.
It takes a lot of nerve to destroy this wondrous earth.
We’re only human; this at least we’ve learned.
At least I think it’s hopeful? The Alan Poon-directed video, not quite so much:
Sorry, I need a minute. And by “minute” I mean “a towelette to wipe my tears off of this laptop because I haven’t been this choked up or hormonal feeling since Bambi.” Here, you take this while I go research options for adopting praying mantises.
Hymns For a Dark Horse is out via Dead Oceans.
You Might Also Like
 Bowerbirds – “In the Yard” |  Bowerbirds – “Tuck The Darkness In” |  Joanna Newsom/Bowerbirds @ Calvin College, Grand Rapids… |  Bowerbirds – “Northern Lights” Video |
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+ a pretty great feature in the latest SKYSCRAPER magazine – these are pretty people. Airstream for life.
i like the bird. i wish i could do flips and roll up in a ball like that.
Such a great new band.
you had yr fun now fuck off. (unless yr some other, better steve then I apologize:-)
I think I’m a different one. Not sure who the other dude is.
Any particular reason you guys never feel the need to credit the directors/production companies that put hours of hard work into creating music videos for bands?
I mean, I’m pretty sure Bowerbird didn’t make this themselves.
Video directed by Alan Poon.
The environment, eh? I always thought this song was about joining a cult (“you’re in our talons now, we’re never letting go”…”even we were scared at first” etc.)
Oh, and all that “my cousin, you’re not alone” business too- that was key to my cult interpretation.
Lead Animator Mike Hollenbeck