Karma Comes Around, So Watch Out

The Mynabirds “Radiator Sister”

The Mynabirds’ second album Generals pulls off a few balancing acts – it’s substantially different in style, theme and tone without feeling like a different band, and it’s an upbeat soul-pop record that deals with big political ideas without seeming at all didactic. But that shouldn’t come as a big surprise to fans of her band’s debut, as one of the most appealing aspects of What We Lose in the Fire, We Gain in the Flood was the way Laura Burhenn wrote about a failed relationship in terms of faith and philosophy without ever seeming corny or trite. The songs on Generals are more aggressive and the production favors harsher tones, but Burhenn’s music is rooted in the same core values of melody, structure and craft, so it’s very easy to spend a lot of time with a cut like the glammy “Radiator Sister” without noticing the sharp critique hidden in its perky hooks. Sometimes artists lose their message in this way, but the pointed thoughts on Generals are far more conversational than argumentative. That approach is often a lot more listenable, and way more persuasive.

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