Unfulfilled Promise
With a suitably vague and intriguing name already under their belts, Toronto folk-rock band Birds of Wales are hoping you'll be as curious about their tunes as the odd moniker. Unfortunately, for the most part, 'Fall Of The 49' is a fairly mundane mid-tempo affair, full of chirpy acoustic tunes that lull you into a serene trance, but fail to stick in your memory. It's not much of a surprise that single, 'Cinderella (Has Nothing on You)' has gone down especially well in Ireland, with its folk roots, dreamy tune and rippling ukulele, it would be right at home amongst the sleepy emerald countryside. 'The Fine Art of Ballet Dancing' is the tune that 'Cinderella' should be, with a spark that the former simply lacks, this is a merry little tune with smart lyrics, "Let's go swimming in Swan Lake, bring a basket for our date and if you bring nuts I will crack them".
Most of the tunes muse on love and marriage, it's hardly rock n'roll, but the calming guitar backing and soothing vocals are a pleasure after an exhausting day. 'T-shirt' has a bit more spirit to it than some of the other tunes, introducing howling guitar cries and fleeting solo moments at its peak as a softcore power ballad. Many of the tracks are like a folk Coldplay with far less rage; simply a little wet but rather pretty, 'Everynight' for example has some beautiful shimmering backing but never summons up enough strength to be anything other than a momentary diversion from whatever else you're doing.
Luckily 'Sicamous' is a bit quirkier with an interesting guitar tone and cries in the background, but there's still a distinct lack of passion from the singer. The tune is carried along a cool guitar riff, that's possibly the most creative thing on this EP, and definitely deserves a listen. Just in the closing moments live track, 'A Few More Days' shows a completely unexpected side to the band, this is a bright and busy tune that quite clearly rocks live, albeit in a mild country manner.
For the most part 'Fall Of The 49' is a pretty mediocre affair that never quite stretches to the emotional peaks it should, but there's plenty of promise here and maybe with time Birds of Wales will learn to soar.