Artists | Issues | CD Reviews | Interviews | Concert Reviews | DVD/Video Reviews | Book Reviews | Who We Are | Staff | Home
 

David Leon

Bird's Eye

Review by Gary Hill

This type of music is definitely not well suited to track by track reviews. It’s very free-form and experimental. As such, it’s hard to write in detail about the music. So, let’s just put it this way – the mix of jazz, Rock in Opposition styled sounds and world music here is intriguing, ever-changing and unique.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2025  Volume 2. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2025.
Track by Track Review
You won't find it by yourself

Starting with just horn, that holds it for a time with a real freaky sound at play. Percussion joins after a while, and then other things are added to the mix. This is weird, experimental and just plain challenging.

Ay-ya

While this is a little less weird, it still has plenty of freakiness built into it. It’s definitely along the lines of Rock in Opposition stuff.      

Nothing Urgent, Just Unfortunate

This piece is much more intense and crazed. It’s a real freak-show, but it’s also compelling. It gets a little more accessible near the end.

to speak in flowers

This comes in tentatively and works out in a great freeform way. There are some powerful moments here.

A Night For Counting Stars

Although there are vocals on this, they are more like traditional Japanese vocals, very artsy. So, it’s not mainstream singing like one might expect. The track is pretty intriguing in its freeform ways. The later vocal parts are very much in line with some of Yoko Ono’s more out there stuff.

Secret Footshake

The basic concepts aren’t changed here, but when it’s this experimental, each piece is unique. In fact, various sections of each piece are very different from one another.

Expressive Jargon I & III

When it comes to reviews like this, it’s hard to differentiate from one track to another. Yet, each song has its own identity.

Infatuation Station

This is driving. It is also somehow just a little more mainstream. Or maybe it’s just that I’m getting accustomed to the chaos of the whole thing.

Secret Handshake

This lands on the mellower and less cohesive side of the equation. It’s one of the weirder things here. And, that really says a lot.

Palmetto

This is a mellower piece with a lot of traditional music in the mix. This is arguably the most accessible thing here. It’s still quite “outside the box.”

 
Return
 
Google

   Creative Commons License
   This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

    © 2025 Music Street Journal                                                                           Site design and programming by Studio Fyra, Inc./Beetcafe.com