Augie March: Strange Bird : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Startling in its goodness, Strange Bird, the rich, inventive U.S. debut from Australia's Augie March, goes where few bands dare to tread. While the fragile melodies of Glen Richards effortlessly color the outfit's adventurous, sonic canvas, calling Augie March's approach art rock wouldn't be right. After all, you wouldn't mar XTC's Skylarking or the Flaming Lips' The Soft Bulletin with such a tag. But Strange Bird is that brilliant and that adventurous. In fact, only mentioning the warped pop of "Addle Brains," the frantic, intoxicating roll of "This Train Will Be Taking No Passengers" or the nicotine-stained jazz of "The Keepa" feels superficial. To hear about the delicate lure of "The Night Is a Blackbird" without hearing how poetry aficionado Richards puts his own literary stamp on the song is unjust. Perhaps the seven minutes of savagery known as "Brundisium" only exists to put AM's depth on display, but the evocative, brass-tinged "Little Wonder" is sweet redemption and a perfect excuse to call Strange Bird a landmark album.