A brief scroll to his Spotify profile you can see Baird’s goal with the BIRDSONGS trilogy was to get his foot in the industry.
And with the third installment which released on March 25th, he’s done the job. Completed the mission.
Baird was quick to call BIRDSONGS, Vol. 3 the best one. And on listening, it’s easy to understand his excitement. Not at all a knock to his previous work, it’s what his growing fanbase fell in love with.
Baird Acheson, or Baird for short is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Baltimore, Maryland. He produces nearly all his work, which extends to the new project as well.
He was always musically inclined and played piano and guitar growing up. He played a lot with his brother, who now records and produces under the alias Goldwash.
After he graduated from Brown University, he started to take music more seriously. He spent his time after graduation between his hometown Baltimore, Mexico City (where he also completed his last semester of college) and Los Angeles working on BIRDSONGS, Vol 2.
He had already released the first volume two years prior. The record comprised elements of electronic, indie, and hip-hop throughout and features gems like the booming “On My Mind” and the ethereal “Heavy Eyes.”
The trilogy is unique for its DIY aesthetic and collage sound. His sound can be very soft and acoustic, but he often mixes it with harsh sounds too.
He likes to leave things a tad messy as well. Although he noted it’s important to know when to do it tastefully.
Moving forward, he also played a role in Brockhampton’s new album RoadRunner: New Light, New Machine. He helped out with everything from production to tracking vocals and even contributed a feature verse on “Old News.” He said they could’ve put together three albums with all the music they made.
But back to BIRDSONGS, Vol. 3, which is a whole new ballgame in the trilogy. Both sonically and lyrically.
He made an effort to sit with it. He worked on the 7 song project for two years.
Specifically, he wanted to improve the songwriting on the third installment. Beat every verse or bridge with the next one, and make sure to write things that need to be rewritten. Holding himself to a higher standard.
Sonically, it’s both harsh and acoustic. Outdoorsy and electronic. The drums are loud, slappy, and often busy. But there are also light strings and guitars throughout the tracklist.
Baird tries to catch both the music nerd and casual fan with his music. He listed Stevie Wonder as a prime inspiration. It sounds like pop music, but just as catchy as it is technical. Something for everyone.
“Backboard,” the opener, brings you right into his world. Such a bright track.
The song plays so well into his sound so well. It feels like a collage. Different sounds and instruments shout around throughout. Sometimes just little noises to accentuate lyrics.
And the project calls back to itself on the closing track “On My Mind Pt.2.” The sequel to the track that kicked off the trilogy.
The grand finale. The drums are headbanging, there are calls of “there’s no way I’d ever change you” and “not so far.” It feels like you’re in his head grappling with these thoughts too. Then about two and a half minutes into the track, shortly after everything dies down it explodes again.
The drums bang in. Guitars surround. It’s a wild moment. And just a minute after, everything snaps back and it’s just the birds chirping as he loops back in the melody from “On My Mind” to close out the song.
This track is what makes his music great at its core. Simple and meaningful songwriting, creative sounds, and emotive music.
Check out BIRDSONGS, Vol. 3 as well as the rest of the BIRDSONGS trilogy. It’s a cool step into Baird’s world and music that lasts.
Contact
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Stay tuned for a biweekly rundown of new releases