Ryan Vail and Jealous of The Birds have combined for one of the most intriguing releases out of Northern Ireland this year. The gorgeous ‘Love Is A Crow’ is the collaborative new single from the pair.
On first glance the two are a world apart, the folk of Jealous of the Birds’ Naomi Hamilton, breezy and bohemian on the surface, has a very different feel to Ryan Vail’s colder electronic ambience but ‘Love Is A Crow’ brings out only their best qualities. Vail has form for this, combining with folk artist Ciaran Lavery for 2015’s Sea Legs album. A NI Music Prize nomination only confirmed its status. Ryan Vail and Jealous of the Birds, who both released debut albums last year, were without doubt two of the most talked about Northern Irish artists of 2016.
‘Love Is A Crow’ begins with a spoken word intro from Hamilton, bringing greater focus on her poetic lyrics. The hallmarks of Vail’s sound are here with structured beats and manipulated sounds providing the backing to Hamilton’s ethereal, breathy vocals. The added guitar, not something found in Vail’s music, further adds to the track’s ambience. Undoubtedly this collaboration has produced one of the most sonically striking tracks heard on this site this year, and that’s without delving into the track’s lyrical themes which explore a damaged relationship taking a sinister turn.
The new video for the release, directed by Berlin based director Joseph Wright, depicts the couple’s relationship breakdown, haunted by a crow-like figure.
‘Love Is A Crow’ will be released on 24th February via Quiet Arch and includes two remixes by Die Hexxen and Stones Throw artist The Cyclist, alongside an instrumental version of the track.
