Chicken Little/Wreck of the Zephyr Split 7″ (Sidejar Records, 2011)
by Dave Sharp on Apr 16th, 2011
Chicken Little/Wreck of the Zephyr Split 7" (Sidejar Records, 2011)
There’s a noticeable level of urgency in Chicken Little’s tunes and it’s a highlight of their latest split release with Wreck of the Zephyr.
The cover hearkens toward the urgency inside, drawing an eerie resemblance to the recent tsunamis in Japan or, probably more aptly, the Nashville floods of 2010.
Chicken Little gold standards like the vocal harmony between Dave Cuomo and Emma Berkey and punk-meets-Dylan story-telling lyrics hold up strong on this recording, but the quality of the recording doesn’t do the pair justice.
Having the luxury of experiencing them live multiple times, the value of the words and strength of the harmonies are less abrasive on stage and in previous recordings. On occasion, Dave’s voice falls flat, which certainly doesn’t tell the real story.
Both songs include lyrics about boneheaded bosses and both find the narrator six feet under at some point, which I’m having trouble identifying an intentional motif for the records, or a coincidental pairing. Nonetheless, it creates a theme for the album and both songs have an underlying sense of optimism, finding positive relief in only death or music. Classic old-time attributes.
Los Angeles’ Wreck of the Zephyr holds down the other side of this seven-inch and displays catchy redundancies, a simplified use of electric equipment and strong lyrics.
They’re music isn’t as intricate as Chicken Little’s, so less is lost on the recording – it might have helped that it was done elsewhere, too.
In their only track on the record “Let Me Be” they repeat strong lyrics until it becomes anathematic and hit the listeners hard with an drum and bass as the track hits its zenith.
The words tell an anti- story about not contributing their energies to things in negative perpetuation.
This split is a solid paring and I’d love for them play a set together. Nashvillians really need to hear it, if only to commit the lyrics to memory for the next time you see the fantastic duo Chicken Little on stage.
Reviewer: Dave Sharp
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