“Those Beautiful Words” opens up this four CD collection of remasters housed in a boxed set, an exquisite presentation of dreamy songs, elegant production work all performed and presented with a huge touch of class. “Prodigal Soul” which follows the first track is just as exhilarating with James Blunt-styled soft rock that is both mesmerizing and quite satisfying. Where Adam Ezra Group has a harder edge along these same lines, Birdsong At Morning is ultra-smooth, simply perfect Triple A music that is radio friendly and holds up well with your player on repeat.
To get a handle on what this boxed set is about one has to look at the releases and how they were issued. Six songs on Bound were released on January 1, 2009 containing 28 minutes and 17 seconds of music. October 6, 2009 saw Heavens issued, six songs covering 30 minutes Vigil (6 songs) was released on March 23, 2010 clocking in at 29 and a half minutes with the 7 song Lumens, a 29 minute album, released October 19, 2010. All releases are on the Blue Gentian Records imprint.
The collection is called “Annals of My Glass house and it is oh so very consistent, the music released within the almost two-year span and all holding up as if recorded for one long player. Covers of The Rolling Stones’ “Moonlight Mile” and a slowed-up version of Blondie’s “Dreamin” are a nice break from being introduced to so much original material, but all of it is splendid and well worth more than a few spins.
One word titles a la The Talking Heads abound here…”Adrift”, “Mystery”, “Heartland”, “Light”, “Roses” and more. “Velvet Indigo” has beautiful movements that keep drawing you back in, and is among my favorite tracks along with “Prodigal Soul”, a thought-provoking title and perceptive piece of music. Grade A all the way around. Alan, Darleen and Greg have found a new fan in this critic.
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PRESS RELEASE INFORMATION
Annals of My Glass House
Release date: 2/01/2010
This deluxe box set includes remasters of the band’s four recordings Bound, Heavens, Vigil, and Lumens, with 48-page book featuring lyrics and photos with illuminating essays by songwriter Alan Williams.
Annals of My Glass House
Release date: 2/01/2010
This deluxe box set includes remasters of the band’s four recordings Bound, Heavens, Vigil, and Lumens, with 48-page book featuring lyrics and photos with illuminating essays by songwriter Alan Williams.
https://birdsongatmorning.com/home
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 1, 2010 AND THIS BIRD CAN SING:MASSACHUSETTS-BASED TRIO BIRDSONG AT MORNING GIVE FLIGHT TO BEAUTIFULLY PACKAGED BOX SET OF ELEGANTLY CRAFTED MUSIC – ANNALS OF MY GLASS HOUSE SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 2011 RELEASE What do a university professor, vice president of operations of a gourmet tea company and a sound engineer turned new media consultant have in common? No, this is not the start of a rabbi/priest/minister gag. Massachusetts-based trio Birdsong At Morning are comprised of a trio of musicians who also have branched out into the aforementioned career paths. The band’s relationships with each other stretch back decades. The core group is Alan Williams, Darleen Wilson and Greg Porter. Williams is the lead vocalist as well as the aforementioned professor, teaching at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell while Wilson has her own consulting business after a successful engineering career in the Boston music scene and as the original director of new media at NPR station WGBH. Porter’s day gig is running operations at Tea Forté. Life became very busy for Alan, Darleen and Greg and yet… music-making called. At first softly, but gradually building into an undeniable urge. Despite responsibilities and obligations, Alan, Greg, and Darleen are now making music a centerpiece of their lives, enjoying forays into the clubs and onto radio. This is music by adults, about being adults. Ambitious, refined, insightful, patient, and often heartbreakingly beautiful, Birdsong At Morning is a singular experience waiting to be had, a happy ending in progress. 25 songs, 4 CDs, 2 hours of music, a deluxe booklet of lyrics, photos, and essays – chapters and verses – Annals of My Glass House. Truth, beauty and grace are the commonality as these three unite to form elegant soundscapes. A full digital download of the Annals Of My Glass House box set is available as well as hard copies for review. Abridged 11 track hard copy samplers including a cover of the Blondie tune “Dreaming”are also available upon request.
Joe Viglione is the Chief Film Critic at TMRZoo.com. He was a film critic for Al Aronowitz’s The Blacklisted Journal, has written thousands of reviews and biographies for AllMovie.com, Allmusic.com and produces and hosts Visual Radio. Visual Radio is a fifteen year old variety show on cable TV which has interviewed John Lennon’s Uncle Charlie, Margaret Cho, Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, Felix Cavaliere, Marty Balin, Bill Press and hundreds of other personalities.
