Rochester-based psychedelic indie-pop trio Maybird make a triumphant return on “Carry Me Away,” a floating, beautifully hypnotic ode to self-surrender.
for fans of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Tame Impala, Belle and Sebastian
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Stream: “Carry Me Away” – Maybird
In Maybird’s first single release since their 2022 album Lost In Wonderland, Josh Netsky, Adam Netsky, and Sam Snyder remind us of their extraordinary versatility on “Carry Me Away,” capturing the essence of their grounding in psychedelia while layering on sounds drawn from hip-hop and roots.
The resulting track flows in a gentle rhythmic tide that even the most hardened cynics would have trouble resisting; it entices you to let your eyes close, breathe deeply and succumb to its soothing embrace.
We hear Snyder’s expert guitars on the intro, a fingerpicked acoustic and electric motif that forms the bed for a lilting distorted flute. This classic ’60s sound would bring us squarely into psych-rock territory if not for the unusual but very welcome drum choice: a hip-hop beat that gives the song bounce under cascading guitar arpeggios.
Vocalist and songwriter Josh Netsky’s voice is truly a thing of wonder: a clear, bright tenor bending the smallest note shifts into the whisper of a melody to carry his peaceful lyrics.
Sometimes it’s all I need
Close my eyes and let your melody `
Carry me away
Sunrise and I believe
Sunlight and wind will carry me
I’ll ride until the breeze feels just like home
It’s a dream, or a daydream, this mesmerizing place created by Netsky’s soft words and soothing delivery. And yet there’s nothing pastiche here – it’s a perfectly satisfying balance of uplifting and real, a baring of the soul that we can’t help but admire.
In a flip of the usual script, the chorus hangs in a dissonant space with minor chords underlying the echoey, faraway backing vocals, while the verses resolve into descending major chords, giving a sense of unity and wholeness.
Carry me away
Carry me away
Your eyes, sparkling in the sea
Your love an ocean under me
Carry me away
The song lacks a bridge, but there’s no need for one – it would interrupt the flow, a disturbance in an otherwise smooth, fluid record.
Don’t try to set me free
I’m captive to your majesty
The tide has come to me and swept me up
Carry me away
Is the song about a lover or romantic partner? It could be. Or perhaps there’s a bit of escapism here, an air of letting go, of being happy as a “captive” who doesn’t want to be set free. There’s a sense of longing, possibly for a treasured part of life that makes the central character feel safe and loved, “just like home.”
For a singer and a songwriter, perhaps that’s the music itself.
Watch for more releases and live dates from Maybird this year.
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Stream: “Carry Me Away” – Maybird
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© Madelyn Bradt
© Madelyn Bradt
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