At one point or another, most bands will find themselves on a figurative journey.  Whether that means looking for different sounds or finding new members to augment a lineup, searching for fresh inspiration is usually in the cards during the tenure of a working band.  For electro-folk-pop duo Birdlips (@birdlipsmusic), this journey is both a figurative and a literal one. They are in the midst of a project entitled DRIFT, which finds them expanding their sound while venturing out onto something that is part travelogue, part recording process.  It’s taken them across the country and back again, staying in any location where they’re able to find stable temporary housing and recording a short record.

The latest release in this series of mini-albums is entitled One Tongue, recorded in Destin, Florida, and it finds the group in prime form; interweaving harmony vocal lines, dreamy guitar and keyboard textures, and layered drum loops all forming the meat and potatoes of the tracks.  “One in Seven” and “Higher Vision” are perfect examples of them in their comfort zone, while the ethereal “Under Crooked Trees” and it’s accompanying video also capture their appreciation of late 60’s era counter culture.  Increased use of subtle textures like clarinet, ukulele, and continued flourishes of electric guitar and bass helps them to be more flexible within their duo format.

Beginning as a solo project a few years ago that was used as a vehicle for more straight ahead singer songwriter material, Birdlips has come into it’s own as a duo, proving that both Cliff Usher and Lindsay Pitts are equally important in forming the group’s sound.  Because they truly have an aesthetic they’re aiming for, it’s a strength of theirs to capture what influences them and mold it into something that’s instantly recognizable as their own.

Since the band is currently in Las Vegas recording their, as of yet, unnamed next album, it’ll be interesting to see where Birdlips is willing to take us, and whether we can keep up.