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God Bless Little Birds (PopFest, Little Kings, 8/14/08)

by Len Neighbors
08.15.2008

The best thing about afternoon PopFest shows is the likelihood that you will be surprised by band at least once per day.  Yesterday, that band was Little Birds from McKinney, TX.  They played soft, soft music where the guitars sounded like ringing bells, with a country jangle.  One of the lyrics stuck with me: "Something more than what I am."  They were definitely more than what their unassuming stage presence indicated.

When we asked them a month ago what to expect from their PopFest set, they told us, "Music from Texas that doesn't necessarily sound like music from Texas."  Well, it did sound like it was from Texas, like the unhurried rumble of Texas weather.  It wasn't lazy, just  inevitable and purifying and dusty.   I'll never read a page of Cormac McCarthy again without hearing Little Birds in my head.

What really got me, though, was the tinge of small church gospel that colored most of their set.  The harmonies weren't boys-choir-flawless, but they were rough and beautiful enough for the worship of regular people, which is what I happen to prefer.  If you have a minute, check out some of their music on MySpace - "A Song For You" gets me a little.

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