BRAND NEW

Label: 14th Floor Records 825646606870, Atlantic 825646606870
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: Europe
Released: Apr 27, 2012
Genre: Rock, Pop
Style: Baroque Pop, Indie Rock, Indie Pop, Soft Rock, Ballad

A1 1901
Drums, Percussion Matt Chamberlain
Engineer James Brown (2)
Engineer [Assistant] Chris Kasych
Guitar Kirk Hellie
Piano, Keyboards Jamie Muhoberac
Producer, Mixed By Rich Costey
Synthesizer Alessandro Cortini, Jamie Muhoberac
Written-By Christian Mazzalai, Frederic Jean Joseph Moulin*, Laurent Mazzalai, Thomas Pablo Croquet*
5:09
A2 Skinny Love
Engineer, Mixed By Paul ‘P-Dub’ Walton
Piano Birdy (8)
Producer Alex H.N.Gilbert
Written-By Justin Vernon
3:23
A3 People Help The People
Bass Alex MacNaghten
Cello Ian Burdge
Engineer Richard Woodcraft
Guitar, Drums, Percussion James Ellis Ford*
Mixed By Tom Elmhirst
Mixed By [Assistant] Ben Baptie
Piano Birdy (8)
Producer James Ford
Written-By Simon John Aldred*
4:17
A4 White Winter Hymnal
Bass Alex MacNaghten
Drums, Percussion James Ellis Ford*
Engineer Richard Woodcraft
Mixed By Rich Costey
Piano Birdy (8)
Producer James Ford
Written-By Robin Noel Pecknold*
2:18
A5 The District Sleeps Alone Tonight
Engineer Ian Dowling
Guitar, Effects [Fx] Leo Abrahams
Keyboards, Synthesizer Jamie Muhoberac
Mixed By Rich Costey
Piano Neil Cowley
Producer, Drum Machine [Cool Sounding Old Drum Machine] Jim Abbiss
Written-By Ben Gibbard, Jimmy Tamborello
4:44
A6 I’ll Never Forget You
Cello Lucy Shaw
Double Bass Stephen Webster Mair*
Engineer Ian Dowling
Mixed By Rich Costey
Piano, Organ Neil Cowley
Producer Jim Abbiss
Written-By Francis Farewell Starlite*
3:48
B1 Young Blood
Drums, Percussion Matt Chamberlain
Engineer James Brown (2)
Engineer [Assistant] Chris Kaysch*
Guitar Kirk Hellie
Keyboards Jamie Muhoberac
Producer, Mixed By Rich Costey
Synthesizer Alessandro Cortini, Jamie Muhoberac, Rich Costey
Written-By Aaron Phillip Short*, Alisa Xayalith, Thomas Brading Powers*
4:04
B2 Shelter
Engineer Ian Dowling, Rupert Bogarde
Guitar, Effects [Fx] Leo Abrahams
Mixed By Rich Costey
Piano Birdy (8)
Producer Jim Abbiss
Producer [Additional Production] Alex H.N.Gilbert, Paul ‘P-Dub’ Walton
Written-By Baria Qureshi, James Thomas Smith*, Oliver David Sim*, Romy Anna Madley Croft*
3:45
B3 Fire And Rain
Bass Alex MacNaghten
Engineer Richard Woodcraft
Guitar, Drums, Percussion James Ellis Ford*
Mixed By Tom Elmhirst
Mixed By [Assistant] Ben Baptie
Piano Birdy (8)
Producer James Ford
Written-By James V. Taylor*
3:07
B4 Without A Word
Engineer Gareth Henderson, Rich Costey
Engineer [Assistant] Chris Kaysch*
Keyboards Jamie Muhoberac
Noises [Strange Noises], Other [Veganism] Rich Costey
Piano Birdy (8)
Producer, Mixed By Rich Costey
Synthesizer Jamie Muhoberac, Rich Costey
Written-By Birdy (8)
4:47
B5 Terrible Love
Arranged By [Strings], Conductor [Strings] Audrey Riley
Bass Wally Gagel
Drums, Percussion Matt Chamberlain
Engineer James Brown (2)
Engineer [Assistant] Chris Kaysch*
Guitar Kirk Hellie
Keyboards Jamie Muhoberac
Leader Chris Tombling
Piano Birdy (8)
Producer, Mixed By Rich Costey
Synthesizer Alessandro Cortini, Jamie Muhoberac
Written-By Aaron Brooking Dessner*, Matthew Donald Berninger*
4:44

Phonographic Copyright Jasmine Van Den Bogaerde
Licensed To Warner Music UK Ltd.
Copyright Warner Music UK Ltd.
Mastered At Sterling Sound
Lacquer Cut At Abbey Road Studios
Pressed By Optimal Media GmbH BC71454
A&R Alex H.N.Gilbert
Cover [Back Cover] Dan Curwin
Executive-Producer Alex H.N.Gilbert, Christian Tattersfield
Lacquer Cut By Christian*
Management Jess Barratt, Paul Craig (2)
Mastered By Greg Calbi
Photography By Lauren Dukoff
Photography By [Studio] Alex H.N.Gilbert
Producer Alex H.N.Gilbert, James Ford, Jim Abbiss, Rich Costey
Voice Birdy (8)
Single sleeve cover with printed inner sleeve containing album credits.
Barcode (Text): 8 25646 60687 0
Barcode (String): 825646606870

On the face of it, the self-titled debut from 15-year-old Birdy, aka Jasmine van den Bogaerde, doesn’t seem any different from the hastily assembled cash-in covers albums released every year by the various X Factor alumni. But although its 11 renditions of mostly contemporary songs, many of which could be passed off as originals due to their previous lack of exposure, stick to the tried-and-tested talent show formula, that’s where the comparisons end. Indeed, you won’t find any karaoke standards or renditions of Miley Cyrus songs here, as this stripped-back collection of lesser-known hits and album tracks reads like a who’s who of lo-fi hipster indie rock. The likes of the National’s “Terrible Love” and Francis & the Lights’ “I’ll Never Forget You” offer little deviation from the source material, but for the most part, producers Rich Costey (Muse), James Ford (Arctic Monkeys), and Jim Abiss (Adele) strip the songs down to their bare bones, turning Cherry Ghost’s everyman anthem “People Hold the People” into a tender torch song with its stately piano chords and mournful cello, toning down the aggression of the Naked & Famous’ synth pop hit “Young Blood” with some muted beats and ethereal twinkling electronica, while somehow turning the already sparse “Shelter” from the xx’s Mercury Music Prize winner into an even more skeletal and ghostly affair. As clever and subtle as these reworkings are, it’s Birdy’s youthful and fragile voice that steals the show, whether it’s replicating the multi-layered harmonies of Fleet Foxes’ “White Winter Hymnal,” providing a poignancy to Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love,” or showcasing her scale-gliding abilities on the Postal Service’s “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight.” The gospel-tinged cover of James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain,” the only track to sound more expansive than the original, feels slightly out of place, while the unremarkable balladry of the only original composition, “Without a Word,” suggests she might have to work a little harder on her songwriting skills if she’s to avoid becoming a one-trick pony. The whole idea of Birdy sounds like a transparent attempt to court a more credible audience, but thanks to her haunting tones and a tasteful yet compelling production, it impressively avoids being the try-hard affair you’d expect. ~ Jon O’Brien

• Media Condition: Mint (M)
• Sleeve Condition: Mint (M)
• Format: Vinyl
• Genre: ALTERNATIVE
• RSD Date: n/a
• Format Type: LP
• Released: 07/03/2012