Despite their name, Washington DC based, Deleted Scenes do not write movie scores for DVD's. Instead, this foursome write jilted indie rock songs that are just strange enough to make you pay attention. Their debut album, the bizarrely titled Birdseed Shirt,was pieced together over nine months of painstaking work involving the production genius of L. Skell.
The results of that odyssey is an album that's utilizes the quiet / loud dynamic so masterfully, that if you didn't know better, you'd swear this band was either indecisive or half deaf and having constant trouble adjusting its hearing aid. It's quirky stuff that at times sounds so much like The Shins, you can't help but wonder if it's not really them under all that facial hair.
Facial hair and similarities to other bands aside, Deleted Scenes are a fine band in their own right. In fact, much of Birdseed Shirtis a despair, depressed filled ride of joy. It's crammed with jangly guitars, vibes, sleepy vocals, and just enough hooks to keep you mesmerized. Birdseed Shirt might not hit you over the head with a big chorus or riff, but repeated listens will paint a clearer picture of how sublimely smart this band really is. "Ithaca," for example is such a quiet little song with a xylophone leading the way that when it erupts into an almost jazz-like influenced chorus the song has already made it's mark. It's a tender song that's almost slips by unless you're paying attention and it just so happens to be one of the best moments on Birdseed Shirt simply because it's charms are hidden between bigger songs.
Deleted Scenes quietly go about their business weaving complex and emotional songs that make their impact behind your back. It's because of this that Birdseed Shirt is a beautifully abstract record. It might not be loaded down with hits, but it's so incredibly consistent with fantastic songs that require you to pay attention you can't help but inadvertantly like it.
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