“This one’s for the boys / don’t turn it up.”

This is a fitting intro for the debut full length from Matthew Thiessen’s new project. I hesitate to call it a side project because somehow it doesn’t do it justice. Also, it’s so different from Relient K.

So who are the boys, and why shouldn’t we turn it up? Well, I’d venture a guess that the boys are those close to Thiessen—in real life or not. Casual fans of Relient K probably aren’t even aware that this project exists. Exceptions to that rule might be some Mutemath superfans that are tuning in because of Darren King’s involvement in the project (more on that later).

So, why shouldn’t we turn it up? One might guess that this album is a singer-songwriter record, a type that typically doesn’t lend itself to loud listening. However, intricacies emerge in the music that most wouldn’t expect. And I’d add something else to this thought exercise: when you listen to music loudly, you often lose something. Have you ever been at a show that is really loud, and you become fatigued by it? At a certain volume the music turns into noise, and you spend more energy trying to endure it rather than appreciate the art unfolding in front of you. In the case of Wind Up Bird, the music is fittingly whimsical and teeters toward the atmospheric at times. “Forest” makes use of several elements in a way that never seems overbearing—it’s actually down to earth. I would compare it to PHOX and The Last Bison in the terms of arrangement. Wind Up Bird wraps up the album in a kind of sentimental way that reminds me of listening to an older Sufjan record.

This isn’t to say that there aren’t raw moments on this album, though. “Climb” finds Thiessen showing the full range of his vocals, steeped in emotion and backed by an arrangement that is wonderfully influenced by Americana.

I wouldn’t be true to myself if I didn’t at least take a second to discuss Darren King’s involvement with this album. If you know me or this blog, you’re probably aware that I’m somewhat of a Mutemath fan. “Somewhat” as in superfan. Ha! But, if you’re in my position, it wouldn’t take you long to infer King’s involvement; the drums are a dead giveaway. However, one instagram post tells me Darren drums and another tells me Brandon Owens does. So who is it? Or is it both? I trust the appropriate party will fill me in 😉 In any case, with King helming the production train here there’s a trademark way the sound seems to be coming at you from all directions no matter what the instrumentation is (or lack thereof). Take a listen to “I’m Gonna Cry” to see what I mean—the harmonies ramp up in a way that wraps me up like a pig in a blanket. Aaaaaaaaand, now I’m hungry—that’s not where I meant that analogy to go, but oh well!

In any case this album certainly exceeded my expectations. I’m not great at conclusions, so I’m just going to tell you to take a listen and then point you to the band’s socials (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).