Hymns For A Dark Horse

Only once every ten years or so does one hear a new band this good, this bursting with ideas, this audibly in love with music - It is beyond stunning. This band is the complete package." Ears tend to prick up when a record review sings praises like these, especially when the praises come from the Mountain Goats' John Darnielle, as they did recently on his Last Plane to Jakarta website hailing the Bowerbirds' debut album, Hymns for a Dark Horse. Dead Oceans is overjoyed to be sharing the sounds of Bowerbirds with listeners worldwide. Hymns for a Dark Horse was originally released in July of 2007 on Burly Time Records, and now will be issued in an expanded form featuring two bonus tracks. Upon the initial release of the album, Pitchfork graced it with an 8.4 and "recommended" stamp of approval, saying: "[Bowerbirds] churn out deceptively pleasing folksongs about plants and animals and the unforgivable things we do to them... hypnotically pretty and a little bit weird, characteristics of the very best kind of Americana music. Bowerbirds do for backyards what the Hold Steady's done for parking lots-- translated place into sound.