I Was Once A Bird

It’s easy for albums to get lost in the musical sea of guitars, drums, and vocals, and Whale Belly’s latest album unfortunately falls victim to mediocrity. Led by lead vocalist and guitarist Todd Bogin, “I Was Once A Bird” starts out strong but soon fades into the background.

The problem isn’t the talent. Bogin and the rest of Whale Belly clearly have the skills, it’s just that they all don’t quite come together to create something amazing. It’s good, but doesn’t leave any lasting impression. The tracks on the album come together like one extended jam session with long periods of instrumentals and repetitive and oftentimes strained vocals. It sounded great at first, but after a few tracks the album just sort of drifted away.

Whale Belly is good, but in an industry where you need to be great, they just don’t stand out as much. There’s a simplicity to “I Was Once A Bird” that may not be for everyone. I’d say it’s worth give at least a chance and then deciding for yourself.