Experimenting with genres is a task few manage to succeed in yet Birthday Card have affirmed that it is a mission they’ll happily accept and complete.
After releasing their debut single Shy Away in 2019, Birthday Card have kept themselves well occupied. They released their follow up single Talk Talk and gained critical praise from the likes of BBC Introducing and Radio X. Having supported the likes of Sleeper and SPINN and a quality discography behind them has enabled Birthday Card to see 2020 as their year to test the waters, mix up genres and indicate they are a band like no other. Radio Star, their latest track, is a testament to such ethos.
In Radio Star, Birthday Card amalgamates the escapism of dream pop, the love note lyrics of indie and the experimentation of new wave to create a track that should be exhibited at a sold-out Alexandra Palace. Beginning with an extra-terrestrial sound, Radio Star takes us to a world unlike our own. When we press play we accept that the track that follows will enthral us, as the interference leads us to believe that we are being captured and taken on a musical journey.
When the outer space sounds soothe, we embark on a vocoder filled love song dedicated to the personas lover. Josh Saw’s vocals yearn for their unrequited lover to know how much they are idolised. “I need you now, my radio star” isn’t as such an outpouring of love for your favourite DJ but rather the heart-swelling feeling that takes place when you hear the voice of the one you are devoted to. This is no love letter to your favourite member of One Direction (it’s Harry by the way) but a sophisticatedly playful attempt to encompass the feeling of devotion and yearning for love.
Birthday Card have mastered the art of mixing genres and ignoring the musical boundaries that have so often scorned musicians. Radio Star is filled with preppy beats that are carried throughout the track. The synth sounds of George Harrison (the member of Birthday Card not the Beatle) support the track and give it that out of this world experience. It’s celestial synth tones mixed with a vocoder voice bass put the listener in a dream-like state, Birthday Card want their listener to feel involved in their sound, to connect, to relate.
Unlike their previous singles, Radio Star is bold, it’s completely different to any track out there at the minute. They say a great song can take you somewhere, it can take you on a journey and Birthday Card do just that by removing us from our society and placing us in an out of this world atmosphere. Radio Star redefines what a love song can sound, becoming the perfect lullaby for baby X Æ A-12
