Review: Nina Garcia ‘Bye Bye Bird’
With plaudits from Sonic Youth legend Thurston Moore who describes Bye Bye Bird as the ‘most exalted and sublime collection of recordings for all adventurous hearts to hear’, as well as playing with Fred Firth (Henry Cow, Art Bears, Massacre) and Stephen O’Malley (Sunn O))), Khanate, Burning Witch), you figure that Nina Garcia must be pretty special.
The Parisian guitarist has been performing for roughly a decade under the Mariachi moniker, previous output includes 2015’s Mariachi, 2016’s split with Apollo Vermouth, 2018’s Mariachi, 2021’s UBXXX-GT split, and a 2021 split with K.T. Toeplitz. Bye Bye Bird marks the first release to be put out under her own name and on Stephen O’Malley‘s label Ideologic Organ who focus mainly on experimental, avant-garde music of which Garcia is a part and which has aroused more than a little curiosity for yours truly.
Bye Bye Bird, the longest track on the album at nearly eight minutes sets the tone for what is to come, eschewing traditional, rock based structures for improvisation. The music here is so minimalist and stripped down that it makes the likes of the late Glenn Branca and Rhys Chatham sound like Wagnerian operas. There is beauty to be found here, but it’s one that might take a few listens to identify.
Le Leurre (The Lure) is far less subdued than its predecessor, with a vintage no wave spirit of which the aforementioned Thurston Moore would be proud. In fact, had I been told this was recorded in 1981, I wouldn’t have been surprised and it sounds pure New York with a sense of tension prevailing throughout. A fantastic track.
a demonstration of Garcia’s diverse musical interests…
Ballade Des Souffles (Ballad of Breaths) sounds like it was lifted straight from the Renaissance courts of Charles VIII and Henri III, a genteel folk laden piece with which to soothe the troubled soul. Pick-up Tentative is a collection of Merzbow-esque noise that befuddles and confuses the senses and in case you were playing it and wondering whether there’s something wrong with your stereo, no, the sound is of course intentional, acting as a brilliant contrast to its predecessor.
Dans l’alios (Giving to others?) is a little doomier with a steady insistent kick-drum that recalls the start of Black Sabbath’s Iron Man and an overall vibe that wouldn’t be overly dissimilar to the drones found on any number of Sunn O))), Earth or Thrones releases. Pretty darn good and a demonstration of Garcia‘s diverse musical interests. Harsh Hopping is an interesting number, think Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music and it’s not for nothing that the word harsh is included in the track’s title. Unlike Reed’s difficult contractual obligation, this is both far more listenable and enjoyable.
Aubé (Dawn) is so quiet that it barely registers but then it is indicative of the onset of yet another day so it is somewhat appropriate and if ya dug Brian Eno’s more ambient orientated works this is for you. Whistling Memories evokes memories of Sonic Youth at their most lo-fi and discordant on albums such as Confusion Is Sex, which, despite not exactly garnering rave reviews at the time, nonetheless remains a firm favourite of yours truly and subsequently provides us with the perfect conclusion to the album.
This is the kind of record which will appeal to readers of publications such as The Wire who come at music from a far more intellectual and highbrow perspective than myself. However, while that may sound off-putting, rest assured it never outstays its welcome and has a good deal of variety to boot, making for an overall interesting listen.
Label: Ideologic Organ
Band Links: Official | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Reza Mills
