Some more reviews of The Dawn Chorus from the latter part of 2007

From Whisperin' and Hollerin' - TOWN/CITY Review - 8/10
http://www.whisperinandhollerin.com/reviews/review.asp?id=5059

'DAWN CHORUS, THE'
'Town/City EP'

Our Rating: 8/10

Town/City is the 3rd EP from South Coast (of England) five-piece The Dawn Chorus.

There is an obvious "Americana" influence to The Dawn Chorus' accessible, country-tinged indie - the opening track borrows its title "The Town and The City", from a Jack Kerouac novel.

The most obvious reference points to their sound would be Bright Eyes, Pavement, and Scotland's My Latest Novel but these songs have an identity of their own. "Lobster Telephone" uses trumpet to great effect, giving a distinctive twist.

Whatever the influences, the quality of the song-writing and performance overshadow any comparisons to other bands - good songs are always going to be good songs.

This is a genuinely impressive release which shows great promise for their impending full-length debut. Someone needs to sign this band to allow them to meet their undoubted potential.

Highly recommended.


From Planet Sound, Channel 4 (Teletext) - 9/10

THE DAWN CHORUS The Town And The City 9/10, myspace.com/thedawnchorusuk, Remarkably, the second head-spinningly brilliant demo this week. Forget the fact it's a demo, this is one of the four or five sunniest songs all year. A blissed-out Wilco? Conor Oberst's chirpy kid brother? A less lonely Loney, Dear? More importantly, they've their own unique hazy charm. Get on board - this won't stop 'til Glasto's main stage.

From The-mag.me.uk - Town/City EP Review (8/10)
http://www.the-mag.me.uk/?ArticleId=1735

From the very first guitar slide of 'The Town and the City', to the last plaintive keyboard note of 'Last Day of April', The Dawn Chorus supply a tidalwave of top-notch unique songs.

It's true to say that previous records have brought some good tunes.

'Michael', 'Act of God' and 'Blood in the Bath' are brilliant songs in their own right, but this EP has found the express elevator to the next level in every department.

I may well be gushing at this point, but the lyrics are fantastic. I won't start quoting at this point, but listen to 'Lobster Telephone' and beneath the melodies, trumpets, bouncy drums and chilled guitars are words that have more weight than the ambiguous title suggests. This is the kind of songwriting that neither opts for the obvious or trips over the convoluted avoidance of what might be perceived as obvious.

'End of the World Party' has a world weariness that winds itself into

defiance and finally, into 'The Celebration' with such craft you can't see the join.

If your looking for a song that can transform your eyes into sodden sponges, cease the search and grab some kitchen roll. 'Last Day of April' is of the highest calibre with a scuzzy intro to snap you into the song and a combination of guitar hooks that do enough to completely absorb you, even before the continentally-sized chorus or angelic bridge get a hold of your most-vital organ and start squeezing.

It's got some of the best bits of American meadow music and all the great quirkiness of the best British bands with a pioneering nature that binds it all together in a Folky union. This is where music becomes art, so you can call it art. Call it what you will though, it's all the same - I love this record.


From The-mag.me.uk (live show supporting The Veils)
http://www.the-mag.me.uk/?ArticleId=1729

A good number of people were probably waiting for The Veils to crack off their set at the end of the night, but while they were still unaware of Rough Trade's apparent decision to drop this band (a fact made abundantly clear by a performance that was tainted by the bad mood of Finn Andrews) there was still time to enjoy a great performance from The Dawn Chorus.

They are a band that does their own thing. Certainly, it bears no resemblance to the current scene and it may never do - but whether or not people want to hear it, The Dawn Chorus have been busy crafting really good Americana meets anti-folk songs.

As it happens, quite a lot of people do want to hear it and the compactness of the crowd relegated me to the final third of the venue. Despite the less-than-prime viewing angle, the set was thoroughly absorbing with lots of stylistic variation and plenty of eccentric lyrics.

Entrenched within their sound are the minor-chord harmonies of The Beatles, the off-beat eccentricity of Gomez and a wide spectrum of artists that fall within the remit of Alt Country.

From the bouncy anti-modern-art of 'Lobster Telephone' to the acoustic anthem of 'Michael', The DC whole-heartedly demonstrated the depth of their music and the final track of the night was the excellent final track from their latest EP 'Last Day of April'.

More attention should be expended on bands like this. As for The Veils...least said!

Reviewed Live By: Steve (5510 - [?]) View The Mag Team