Birdy's Remake of Bon Iver's "Skinny Love" Takes Flight

Get to know the name Birdy even if that is a mere vocalist de plume. At 17 years old she's already got the chops belying her short life. Put those haunting notes up against the expertly applied shadings of the ivories. The result is "Skinny Love", a song originally performed by Bon Iver, an indie folk band stemming from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. In Birdy's grip it's become almost unsettling in its nakedness. Her wounded animal stance penetrates you from head to toe. Chalk another one up for the piano as a prime means of draining the mishmash of moods dry. The real life Jasmine van den Bogaerde certainly came by her love of song honestly. Her mother is a concert pianist. Birdy learned to play piano at age seven. By age eight she was writing her own music. At age eight I was having my birthday party at the gone but not forgotten Scampi's Organ Grinder on Koenig Lane. My apologies to any blog followers who have no clue what that is or what on earth that's supposed to symbolize. Scampi's had an organ as well as a cheesy monkey clanging cymbals. You can tell Birdy's pianist virtuosity shines through right away. I'm blown away by how intimate the connection between her voice and the listener is. As the lyrics attest things in her inner circle have a tendency to get ugly. Bon Iver is a folk outfit and, at least from my experiences with it (think John Denver or Joan Baez)the folk genre is very open fist, won't you be my pal while we explore the unexplored terrain the planet holds for us. Birdy brings the sink full of blood and crushed veneer to life. Adult reality has many of us wearing battle armor to keep from losing our livelihoods, wives, girlfriends, husbands, etc...Veneers come with the upgraded life description. Dare I say that Birdy's revelations of blood and crushed veneer are sharp as cut glass and have the power to make you nauseated reflecting on the very unavoidable depth of her hurt. When Birdy begs a paramour to cut the ropes she's not fooling around. Push the aching scars up any higher and you'd literally taste the blood dripping from her fangs. Piano and pathos, keys and cut to the quick. For me the piano is an old friend I never get tired of hearing from. Maybe that's because there's no obnoxious amplifier pointing out to us with the subtlety of a Mac truck that some important message is being conveyed. A bass exudes carnal lust. Drums can be hypnosis expertly applied. Piano takes a great bit of practice to ascend to the concert arena filling level. That's not meant to scare anyone away. I think the piano, as has been demonstrated by Elton John, Billy Joel, and Tori Amos, is about the best storytelling instrument there is. Best of all there's no limit to the expanse of stories that can be told. "Skinny Love" proves Birdy knows her way around the 88s. Her voice gets sucked up, tornado style into the vacuum of those enraptured keys. "Fire Within" is Birdy's second full length album. "Skinny Love" occupies important real estate on it. I have fingers crossed that Birdy's genetic inclination towards the arts along with her mother's imagined appreciation for the rigorous touring life bodes well for her future prospects. It's not easy being a child prodigy. Ask the Jackson and Osmond families. While we the audience reap the rewards. The performers themselves willingly climb into the fishbowl environment and that can wreak havoc on body and soul. For now we can enjoy the first steps Birdy is taking. "Skinny Love" qualifies as one self-assured step in the right direction. Clearly she knows which buttons on the piano to push in order to tug vehemently on an audience's heartstrings.