Brown Bird: A Musical Journey of Love, Storytelling, and Legacy

The musical journey of Brown Bird was nothing short of extraordinary. David Lamb and MorganEve Swain created a unique sound that blends folk, blues, and in their later albums, Middle Eastern influences. From their humble beginnings playing gigs in small Rhode Island venues, to touring across the country and beyond, their journey has been a testament to their shared love of music, and each other.

When the two met MorganEve, they were immediately drawn to their talents as multi-instrumentalists and vocalists. David Lamb thought that MorganEve's ability to switch between violin, cello, and bass while lending her hauntingly beautiful voice to their songs, was truly unmatched.

Lamb was always drawn to the banjo and guitar, although he started as a percussionist, he learned to incorporate his passion for the banjo and the guitar into his music while simultaneously playing the drums and singing. Together, David Lamb and MorganEve Swain created a sound that is uniquely Brown Bird.

The music of Brown Bird has evolved significantly over the years. The early albums were heavily influenced by folk and blues, but as they grew as musicians, the pair began to incorporate more diverse influences into their sound. The album Salt for Salt, - my favorite album, possibly ever produced - marked a turning point in their musical evolution, with the album's Middle Eastern influences and its darker, more complex sound; their evolution continued with Fits of Reason, where they experimented, too, with psychedelic and progressive rock influences.

One of the things that sets Brown Bird apart is their ability to tell stories throughout their albums. Each album is a carefully crafted narrative, with each song contributing to the story. The Devil Dancing tells the story of a man grappling with his inner demons, while Salt for Salt reflects the human condition and their struggle to find meaning in a chaotic world. Fits of Reason explores themes of skepticism and doubt, questioning the dogmas society often takes for granted.

As the primary songwriter for Brown Bird, Lamb often drew on his own experiences and thoughts to create their music. Lamb was fascinated with philosophy and religion, and these themes found their way into Brown Bird's songs.

Music is a powerful tool to explore the human condition, and Brown Bird creates songs that resonate with their listeners on a deep, emotional level. Despite the challenges that the duo has faced, notably David Lamb's battle and ultimate sacrifice to cancer, Lamb has said that he wouldn't trade his musical journey with Brown Bird for anything.

I was, almost literally, dragged to see Brown Bird. It wasn't that I didn't like Brown Bird, I had never heard a single song before the show at High Mayhem in Santa Fe, New Mexico started. I didn't feel like going out that night. It's been more than ten years since the first time I listened to them and, even now, when I listen to one of their songs, any song off of any album, that I haven't heard in a while, I'm taken aback.

Brown Bird redefined not only music, but what it means to appreciate music for me, and for someone who has always, since before I can even remember, been influenced by music, that truth is more profound than I have been able to put into words (and I have used my inability to put something into words as personal challenge to better myself as a writer), and still, what this band has meant to me is inexplicable.