Dylan Kight:The Nightbird's Revolt
Georgian Singer/Songwriter Releases Sophomore Album
© Brittany Brown

May 4, 2008

Dylan Kight: The Nightbirds Revolt

Some albums are just made for kicking back on sultry summer nights. Some albums are destined to be played on the long road trips to the middle of nowhere. And some are perfect for both. Dylan Kight’s latest turnout, The Nightbird’s Revolt, is a catch that will reverberate in the skull during those long hours while shooting the breeze with old friends or while figuring out exactly why you ran out of gas. Either way, the sophomore release from the introspective Georgian pairs perfectly with some cheap wine and a hot southern night—minus the mosquitoes.

At a Glance

At the first spin, The Nightbird’s Revolt is deceptively upbeat. But upon closer inspection, one discovers that it is a lot darker and much, much deeper. The peppy electric choruses are at odds with the poetically melancholy lyrics; pensive musings that could even put Conor Oberst to shame. Kight weaves his words in such a way that it leaves the listener feeling exposed and vulnerable, yet strangely comfortable with the fact that he seems to knows even the most guarded secrets of the inner soul. Kight’s clear and vibrant tenor (which calls to mind the voice of Death Cab for Cutie’s frontman Ben Gibbard) wraps around a bruised heart like a security blanket.

Highlights

“A World Beyond This” is an echo of a past that the world has had: it is a ballad of bygone days and the what-ifs that never happened—“But whatever happened to/The things we said we’d do/Time forgets and leaves you blue” sounds like a tune everyone has sung at some time or another. The metallic “Fadin’ Into the Night” could be a typical bar song—basic rhythms with prominent guitar and lonely crooning “Please don’t go/It’s a lonely life/When you live all alone”. A hint of picking that could vaguely resemble bluegrass allows the intro to “Daydream Deferred” to bring attention to this rocking little track; plus, who could resist an opening line like “Angels of the night unleash the hounds of hell”?

Kight could almost come off as a New Dylan, with just the faintest dash of southern rock. Not backwoods enough to be in league with Lynard Skynard, not twangy enough to be country, The Nightbird’s Revolt could into that vague, enigmatic category of folk rock, but the word “alternative” suits it well.

Why Listen

The Nightbird’s Revolt is far from perfect—as are most albums. A little more instrumental variation could go a long way with this album, and some dramatic dynamics would keep the tracks from blurring together. And Kight himself can sound a little strained at times. But maybe it is precisely the fact that this album is not some manufactured, cookie-cutter, corporate brain wash that makes this the right spin for a bruised heart—the jagged edges and relaxed atmosphere that it breathes hits home right at the most unexpected moments.

Last Thoughts

As Kight reflects in his notes on the album, “We would come out of the studio or rehearsal place to get fresh air or go home and there were these birds that were losing their minds. I started to identify with these birds and it was like they were following me during the making of this record. There are deeper shades to things we experience and I think it's there if you to be in that moment but you have to let go. You need to find out things for yourself and see them your own two eyes. … I haven't heard the birds since we finished the record...so maybe in the end we all do find peace

Kight has a point…maybe in the end, we all really do find peace.