Superb Lyrebird

Superb Lyrebird – ‘Insignificant Appendage’

One of my favourite bands to emerge from the Sydney alternative scene in the past twelve months are these guys, Superb Lyrebird.  Like all sub-scenes, it becomes a bit incestuous after a while, and Superb are a good example of that, because all the members come from different bands who, during one point or another, have shared the stage with each other. 

Superb Lyrebird brings together members from two defunct Sydney outfits: Endusk (who programmer/keyboardist/percussionist/general beeps and blips James McKenna was a member of) and Fat Slinky (who dummer Nathan Tuffin and bassist Wesley Von Grabill were a part of).  For vocals and guitar, they’ve borrowed the talents of Dave Bleus, who moonlights as the frontman for Sydney outfit Self | Is A Seed (once called Self, but there’s already a band in the States called that).

This is easily my favourite of all the members’ current and prior projects: it’s a far more mature alternative sound, combining dissonant, foreboding melodies with driving riffage, similar to bands like Cog and Karnivool.  Though while most alternative bands these days are trying to be the next Cog, and you come across clone after monotonoua clone, Superb thankfully put their own spin on it, so rather than sounding like some rehashed, second rate rock band, they’ve developed their own style.  Their debut EP Anoised has just been released, and if you’re a prog rock fan it’s a great listen.  Though, as good as it is, it doesn’t really match up to seeing them live, at their most visceral, because that’s where it all clicks.

http://www.myspace.com/superblyrebird