No Destination

Although the Blackbirds' debut LP sounded a year or two behind the times when it came out, it was a strange and intriguing disc, worth checking out by those who like the downcast and somber sound of '60s beat music from the low countries. At times this is eccentric R&B-influenced rock, but it's set aside from the norm by the odd church-psychedelic organ and strange bits of falsetto vocals that sound as sardonic as they do sincere. It might be due to an imperfect command of the English language, but the lyrics can get pretty weird and gloomy, too, as in the title track, which declares "I stay in my bed, 'cause a job is no destination" -- a pre-slacker statement of purpose, perhaps. Although this can approach elegiac ballad territory with a song like "Golden Son," it gets pretty out there with "She," in which the singer gutturally announces that "I have no problems, I have no work...all the people hate me, it doesn't touch me" before a frilly falsetto praises the virtues of "She," his reason for living. And if not for "She," he sounds like he'd be headed straight for the psychiatric ward. ~ Richie Unterberger