They say Y2K is back, and it definitely sounds like it on blue bird rain cloud.
A work as lowercase as its title, the EP from Oakland duo dog eyes calls to mind that ripple of indie rock that crept onto college radio airwaves in the early 2000s, before some were called up to rock radio. If you’re of a certain age, the hushed acoustic sounds here might remind you of powered-down, chilled-out acts like Bright Eyes, Iron & Wine, and maybe the more sincere side of the Moldy Peaches.
In that sense, dog eyes feels like a nostalgia act – but I don’t mean that as an insult. It feels good to revisit this time, even if it’s just for the EP’s 15-minute runtime. blue bird rain cloud has an immediate calming effect, at least for me and my associations with this type of stuff: lying on the floor of my teenage bedroom when I couldn’t sleep, head next to the radio as it plays at the lowest volume, the dial tuned to KSCU hoping music like this would lull me to sleep. Forgive the cliche, but it’s a short and sweet work; a gentle balm in times that, for many, demand such a thing.
