CD: The Birds Don’t Sing Around Here
The Birds Don’t Sing Around Here is Mike’s fourth album for the Irregular Records label. In this latest collection he uses his songwriting skills to cast an unflinchingly forensic gaze at the troubling times we’re all living through. But it’s not a soap-box rant. With a mixture of wit, anger and a wide palette of musical styles, The Birds Don’t Sing Around Here is a powerful critique of our wounded world.
The Birds Don’t Sing Around Here can only enhance Mike’s reputation for literate, intelligent, songwriting, immaculately delivered. He is supported by the core group of formidable musicians who’ve appeared on his previous albums – Tim Wade on trombone, Lee Humber on drums, Mick O’Connor on guitar and Reina James-Reinstein on keys and vocals- but this time augmented by violin maestro Barry Wickens (ex-Steve Harley Acoustic Band), Mickey Ball on trumpet (ex-Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra)), composer and bansuri flautist, Kate Hogg on soprano and alto sax and BAFTA award winning virtuoso pianist Joss Peach. The album was engineered and produced by studio wizard, Ali Gavan who also contributed vocals, bass, guitar and drums
The bonus track, The Mother’s Song was recorded in 1989 to draw attention to those who ‘disappeared’ in Argentina between 1976 and 1983. Reina and Mike share lead vocals. This song was their first musical project together.
Released on November 4th 2024 The Birds Don’t Sing Around Here is available as a CD from this website and from Bandcamp and as downloads from 31 streaming platforms including Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, Bandcamp and YouTube Music.
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If you’d like to buy this album as a download for £10.00 (plus vat) please click here |
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Buy Birds Dont Sing Around Here CD for £10 plus £2.00p postage and packing in the UK
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Reviews
Congratulations on another superb set of songs. It is an accurate reflection of our times. What saves it from being thoroughly depressing is the quality of the musicianship and, as ever, with you, the care with which the songs are composed, arranged and recorded. There is always a lightness in your singing, too that lifts the overall feel of the music.
It is a joy to listen to, despite the dark themes and can I hand out a big bouquet to Joss Peach for the exceptional piano work on Looking For A Loophole. His work on that track combined with the quality of the song puts it right up there alongside any of Randy Newman's work. You are a significant and under-valued talent.
Roger Williams, Serenade-Radio
It takes an iron constitution to watch the news these days and not give in to sickness and despair. Whichever side of the political tracks you feel most comfortable, the world is becoming ever more divisive and there’s plenty going on to leave us all howling into the abyss. Of course, there are those amongst us who howl in far more musical ways than others, creating something wonderful out of the anger and frustration. Which neatly brings us round to The Birds Don’t Sing Around Here, the latest album from Mike Reinstein. Ostensibly there are two very different types of albums that tend to spring from Reinstein’s creative juices; his albums aimed at children, and those aimed at adults. Scratch beneath the surface just a little though, and there doesn’t seem all that much difference between the two. That’s not to say there’s anything childish about his latest release though. The themes here are midnight black and deeply cynical at times. It’s more that there’s nothing in a Mike Reinstein album that every talks down to his audience.
That’s not the only similarity between the two types. You can always depend on Reinstein to create songs that are delightfully eloquent and erudite, with a lyrical playfulness that surprises and charms in equal measure. Even when singing about the weightiest of subjects, he does so with the lightest of touches, so that occasionally you need multiple listens to really take on board the vitriolic nature of the lyrics. The lightness of touch should not disguise the fact that the tracks here are powered by a deep reservoir of anger that is barely being kept at bay, and which threatens at times to erupt in an apocalyptic paroxysm of fire and brimstone.
Despite this justifiable rage, these are not songs that ever come across as preachy. The opener, A Service We’re Glad To Provide, tackles the evils of the arms trade, relying on the baser human instincts to rake in the cash. It does so with a wickedly satirical edge so sharp you almost need safety gear to listen to it. The likes of Looking For A Loophole similarly drips with sarcasm in its tale of a familiar seeming man looking to avoid judgement. Horror and humour make for excellent bedfellows throughout the album.
Most notably perhaps, we also have a bonus track on the album which represents the very first musical project undertaken together by Mike and Reina James-Reinstein. The Mother’s Song was written way back in 1989, hoping to draw attention to the disappeared of Argentina between 1976 and 1983. It’s a heartbreaking track that still resonates these many years later. More than that, it still feels depressingly relevant.
No collection of music, no matter how well written, is ever going to change hearts and minds that are closed off to the possibility of how the world could be. That doesn’t make The Birds Don’t Sing Around Here any less powerful or important, however. At times such as these we need people like Mike Reinstein all the more; those who stand up and show how ridiculous the world and especially it’s bewilderingly appointed leaders, really are.