Band - Birds of Tokyo
Kinda sounds like - That great song you've been humming to yourself forever, but just couldn't place what it was
Album to listen to - Universes
Songs to start with - Silhoutteic, Wild Eyed Boy

In the last time I introduced to you a band I know and you don't, you've met Karnivool. This time, we're not straying too far geographically, but rather leaping sideways genre-wise.

As the saying that I just made up goes - "Why have one band when you can have two?". Birds of Tokyo is comprised of Karnivool's frontman Ian Kenny, as well as three other guys. Together, this merry group has some a sort of a pop\rock thing going on there.

Universes, their second album feels like a pure distilled essence of Kenny, letting him lay out words and melodies that are all him. Kenny continues doing what he does best - singing in a way that reaches out and touches, but unlike in Karnivool, with its raging guitar lines and intricate rythems, this time the entire focus is him. As a matter of fact, I dare you to find 15 seconds on Universes where Kenny doesn't sing. That is not to say that that's a bad thing - as the melodies are so catchy and addictive you'll eventually get them stuck in your head with no way foreseeable way to remove them. This is clearly demonstrated with “Head in my hands”, where Kenny sings “I hate my melodies, they're all the same. One by one they're driving me insane” - while I don't think the melodies are repetetive, this is probably the same feeling you're going to get after giving Universes a couple of listens. In a good way.

This is a band that even your sister will like, because the songs just work. It's one of those albums which manage to strike that perfect balance between being fun to sing with and at the same time contain those hidden inner layers, that begin to unravel themselves if you do choose to take the time and commit to the music.

You won't find face melting solos or long and elaborate compositions with Birds Of Tokyo, but what you will find is excellent vocal-driven pieces with precise rock arrangements and incredibly good song writing. Plus you could make your sister happy, and isn't that always a good thing?