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Unkind (Radio Edit)

by Bird Streets

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about

Check out a conversation about the making of "Unkind" with John Brodeur and producer Michael Lockwood at youtu.be/xC-bMK0fiFE

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Bird Streets have returned with “Unkind,” out now via Sparkle Plenty Records. The first new music in three years from John Brodeur’s collaborative project comes in the form of an epic breakup song marked by unflinching self-reflection. “This was one of the first things I started writing after my wife and I separated,” says the Brooklyn-based artist. “It’s about taking a broader look at a difficult situation, and owning up to one’s role in making that situation difficult. ‘Unkind’ is probably the most honest thing I’ve ever written–an apology by way of an admission.”

Producer-guitarist and Aimee Mann associate Michael Lockwood helmed the recording. “I met Michael through some mutual friends in Los Angeles,” says Brodeur, “and he played guitar on a couple of our live shows there. We hit it off great and I was already a fan of his work, so it just made sense to record something together.” In turn, Lockwood enlisted Mann herself to play bass, along with some of her longtime band members, including Patrick Warren, whose gorgeous string arrangement, in tandem with Lockwood’s fluid and melodic guitar lines, give an emotional lift to Brodeur’s weary, longing vocal.

The mix, by Grammy winner Michael Brauer (Coldplay, John Mayer) helps guide “Unkind” through its dynamic peaks and valleys, creating a remarkably cohesive and affecting piece–all the more remarkable considering the entire recording was produced during lockdown, with none of the players ever in the same room.

“Unkind” is the first glimpse of the forthcoming second Bird Streets LP, due out in fall 2022

lyrics

I have been most unkind
I have paid you no mind
I have been reckless and obscene
With a devil in my eye
And that ain’t something I want to be remembered by

There was hardly a sign
One day I just resigned
And if you’re looking for a name to give to all the pain
I guess I wouldn’t blame you if you gave it mine
No I wouldn’t blame you if you gave it mine

I have been most unkind
Driving handcuffed and blind
Could have steered out of the crash if we had only tried
Now we’re watching it burn and you’re wondering why
And that ain’t something I want to be remembered by

Maybe I’ve been lying to myself that there was no choice
It’s the only way I know to make any sense of it
But hey, the silver lining is you don’t have to hear my voice
When I cry your name at night, I wake the neighborhood

I have been most unkind
Too stubborn to unwind
And maybe we could have stopped it in time
But we should just put it behind ourselves and
The end is finally nigh
This love, it died on the vine
So much bitterness and shame
I rained on our parade
I would take it all back if I could make it right
’Cause I feel every day like my best friend has died
And that ain’t something I want to be remembered by

That ain’t something I want to be
That ain’t something I want to be
That ain’t something I want to be
That ain’t something I want to be

credits

released April 29, 2022
Produced by Michael Lockwood
Mixed by Michael H. Brauer
Engineer for mix: Fernando Reyes

John Brodeur: lead vocals, acoustic guitar
Michael Lockwood: electric guitars
Patrick Warren: piano, strings
Aimee Mann: bass
John Sands: drums, tambourine
Buddy Judge: backing vocals

Published by All I Have Is Music (ASCAP), administered by 8D Publishing (ASCAP). ©2022 John Brodeur.

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Bird Streets Brooklyn, New York

LAGOON is available now.

Bird Streets is the alter ego of Brooklyn artist John Brodeur.

"Introspective art wrapped in beguiling indie rock."
- Music Connection

"Timeless and honest. A fine balance between melody, tension, character,
meaning and relatability that few artists are able to strike."
- The Deli ... more

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