Review | Antony Szmierek – Decoding Birdsong

Label: Mushroom Music

By Tyler Wright

Mancunian musician, poet, producer, performer, English teacher, author and Hyde’s favourite son – Antony Szmierek returns with a follow up to his acclaimed debut full-length ‘Service Station At The End Of The Universe’ just a scratch over a year on. How lucky we are!

A wild year followed for Szmierek upon the release of ‘Service Station At The End of the Universe’. The venues got bigger, he had a number one dance record, he and the band found themselves on tour with icons and idols, such as Faithless and Mr Mike Skinner himself on The Streets’ huge ‘A Grand Don’t Come for Free’ tour.

There’s no second album syndrome here, if anything this is a perfect maturing of everything that made that first record so good. The things that the debut did are done once more, they’re not rehashed, they’ve evolved. Bangers are still bangers, but every single song sounds massive, huge, enormous – this is certainly what they meant by poetry in motion. The poetry, the wordplay, the razor-sharp wit remains but this time equipped with masterful production, an array of genius features making for delightful dancing duos and together you get some of the most impressive dance tracks of the year.

Joined by an eclectic cast of Ellur, Los Bitchos, Imogen and the Knife and Pretty Girl, led by Antony and his longtime creative partner Max Rad – ‘Decoding Birdsong’ is a statement, a lesson in how to master the signature Szmierek sound, the raving poet bringing spoken word to the rave. It could be disco, techno, house – no matter the beat it’ll be a floor-filler with a line about snooker or Tesco’s or a fibreglass Godzilla – because fibreglass creatures are the in thing for Greater Manchester musicians apparently.

‘Chalk’ kicks us off as we mean to go on. Because we needed a snooker-based belter in our lives. Five minutes grow and grow and towards the end that time on the road with Faithless starts to show. ‘The Heron’ is vintage Szmierek, keys reminiscent of early EP tracks, the bass is relentless, the hook catchy as ever – a sensible lead single, but once again, that early charm, perfectly crafted and mastered.

Ellur features on ‘Bookie’s Favourite’ and is wonderful, with Yorkshire’s indie pop star sounding right at home on that beat whilst Szmierek grapples with religion and utters the words ‘big fuck-off raindrop falls from the strawberry moon and lands precariously’. Masterful.

You’ll find perhaps the most danceable track in ‘Godzilla Hotel’ featuring the most addictive beat in the instrumental breaks with some sort of scratching which is , in fact, scratching something in my brain. ‘Seminal’ is seminal. This is the Antony Szmierek track for me. I think it does everything you want a song of his to do times ten. The beat is gorgeous, the sung vocal in the pre-chorus is nostalgic, a serious earworm. Antony’s sung chorus is his best yet, and the lyrics are of course – a masterpiece. I’ll leave this here:

If hope’s a paper bag
Then I’m the heavy groceries
If your love has died a death
I’ll be the tearful bedside rosary

If you’re the shepherd’s warning
Then I’m the hopeful pictures
If my faith’s a microwave
I’ll read it’s clock like holy scripture

‘Dave’s Angling Superstore’ wins best title, grooviest track and best drop. And not only are we talking about crisps and antihistamines, but this tune was also debuted live in Bradford in front of my very eyes. And those grungy guitars that see out ‘The First Five Minutes of Magnolia‘. Yes.

As the record sails on, the journey never falters. Every track is sublime. Because if you’re Antony Szmierek and you’ve got 13 bangin’ beats – you’re set, because the lyricism is almost effortless to him, so it appears. Whether it’s pub games, Netflix whodunits, Tipping Point, or Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1999 film ‘Magnolia’ – it is going over a house beat and it is going to sound incredible whether you like it or not. If you like house beats and outwardly Northern poetry, this is for you. If you like to dance and you enjoy the television show ‘Aussie Gold Hunters’, you’re in luck! If you like fun, you’ll love this. I love this.

I’d say this is Antony Szmierek’s magnum opus and ‘Decoding Birdsong‘ is proof that he can go from 10/10 to 11/10, so I’ll hold off until album number three. On ‘Decoding Birdsong’, the music will sometimes have you feeling as if you’re floating, and sometimes you will catch yourself busting a move on the bus. But the words, well, they’ll make you laugh, they’ll make you cry and they’ll make you smile – sometimes you’ll sing along, and sometimes you’ll just take it all in. This is yet further proof that Antony Szmierek has the ability of more than just any old poet or musician – this is the voice of a generation and a writer for the masses. And he ain’t finished yet.