Catherine Avenue

Biirdie came into my life at just the right time. Named for the musical Bye Bye Birdie (but adding an extra “I” because one Birdie band already exists), this southern California folk-rock trio’s sophomore release may not be extraordinarily adventurous or unusual, but they nevertheless make you want to take a long drive into nowhere, windows down. Maybe living in Boston, I hear songs about L.A. and get whimsical for rolling hills that lead to desert. Maybe I crave anything that sounds like perpetual springtime. Or perhaps I just find comfort in sappy, fuzzy rock about confusing love and wishing the weekend would arrive. Whatever it is, this CD hasn’t left my player for weeks as a result.

The one major flaw on this album for me is track three, “Who Were You Thinkin’ Of,” which is what I can only assume is the songwriters’ attempt to be quirky and clever, repeatedly wondering who else their partner was considering while they’d been making love. I know I’m old fashioned about love and romance, but isn’t that wildly insulting? If I don’t understand postmodern hook-ups, it’s because I don’t want to.

Overall, Biirdie won my heart. I looked up concert dates and kept their MySpace page open at work in case I got cranky and needed some dusty indie folk rock. “L.A. is Mars” has been on repeat in my room during the last few weeks, which were particularly sad in my life, and it—along with “Life in a Box”—saved me. I may be prone to repetitive media consumption, but that doesn’t mean any random band can achieve compulsively loved status with me. Recommended if you wish bands like Folk Implosion and Coconut Records would form a supergroup of mellow, country-tinged, roaming blues-rock.

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