On Head of the Household, she announces her unique musical vision in boisterous fashion.
The head of the household sets the standards, makes the rules, and can break them as they see fit. Priya Carlberg, vocalist, composer, and maestro leads Birthday Ass wherever she directs, and on Head of the Household, she announces her unique musical vision in boisterous fashion.
Carlberg formed Birthday Ass with her friends from the New England Conservatory. Their backgrounds in jazz and improvisation evokes a certain idea of artistry: strictly serious, cold, and academic. The ensemble at once meets and defies those expectations on their sophomore album. Carlberg composes every part of these invigorating songs, each instrumental line and each lyric, and creates unexpected and multifaceted rock songs. The method and mastery behind Birthday Ass are as astute (pun intended) as can be, but the music that results overflows with an infectious, unfiltered vitality. The rest of the group, made up of Alex Quinn on trumpet, Raef Sengupta on saxophone, Andres Abenante on guitar, Dan Raney on bass, and Jonathan Starks on drums, use their education and experience to take Carlberg's ear-grabbing and intricate compositions and master them. They fill them out into their richest, most exuberant state by collectively discussing, experimenting, and tweaking the arrangements to create what you hear live and on record. The result is ten rock songs that take you where they lead and have you dancing along the whole way.Listen to "Sunlit Toes" here:
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