by guest contributor Dana Silverman

It speaks to Bird Concerns’ musical instincts and restraint that a song called “The Monster” would sound so artfully casual, even positive. The LA four-piece released the single this February, tackling singer/bassist Marcus Buser’s struggles with depression in surprisingly sunny surf rock style.

“Someone very kind said you have a demon inside / and I believed them,” Buser sings, nonchalantly. Oh well, whatever, nevermind – until the airy harmonies, deceptively chipper chord progression, and illuminating keyboard in the chorus indicate some serious song-craft at work.

The pleasant momentum is only reinforced by intelligent lyrics that transform a potentially heavy-handed take on the subject into a reflection on how to love, persevere, and appreciate oneself and one’s surroundings in the face of sadness.  

“Show me that there’s good inside / show me that I can,” Buser sings, without desperation or sarcasm. When the second chorus hits, and its refrain of self-acceptance is sung for a third and final time, life still isn’t perfect, but it looks promising; maybe more than it has in a long while.  With its optimism, thoughtfulness, and subtlety, “The Monster” is a welcome antidote to bloated, self-righteous rock and roll.

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