Thomas Dollbaum “Birds of Paradise”
I lived in South Carolina for three years as a young-ish adult (and then in Richmond, Virginia for another eight), but I can’t say that I “get” the South – not truly. But I did grow up in rural America (Upstate New York), with a full view of have-somes and have-nots, along with a sense of “we’re never gonna get out of here.” That’s why every syllable of New Orleans-via-Florida singer-songwriter Thomas Dollbaum’s new album, Birds of Paradise, hits a nerve with me – the misadventures he describes, which all seem to spring from a forlorn sense of stuck-ness, reflect what I saw around me growing up. It grabbed me from note one, and, come December, it may very well end up being my favorite album of the year.
Dollbaum’s first record, Wellswood, strongly hinted at his knack for crafting a narrative, but it was really last year’s six-song EP, Drive All Night, where his ability developed and became fully evident (check out “Whippits/Trailer Lights” for a taste). And Birds of Paradise, for all of its Southern-gothic-circa-2026 imagery, actually begins on a high, hopeful note. The short first track, “Visitation” (at 2:11, the type of introductory song I love to see at the top of a good record) is a blink of optimism – “But the older I get, the more I do magical thinking” – that may have been the type of heady confidence required to get this record into the world in the first place – shockingly, it was recorded all the way back in the fall of 2023. A kind of choogly rock kicks in on the next song, “Dozen Roses.” Dollbaum, in a voice somewhere between Alan Wilson (Canned Heat) and “Eminence Front”-era Pete Townshend, meditates on moments (and friends) lost – “When you were still around, it was the time that I remember” – and how growing up kinds sucks – “When you were a kid the whole world felt like a lonesome ocean/Closing in with every wave that seems to come your way” – when you realize how the world works.
“Dozen Roses” also unwinds one hell of a guitar solo from Jake Lenderman, known to most of us as MJ. Since Birds of Paradise was recorded in 2023 – nearly a year before Manning Fireworks was released – we get the benefit of a crack backing band on the album, including Lenderman on drums and some astonishing backing vocals on tracks like “Coyote.” That fourth song on the record starts with a knock-out (and startlingly specific) opening line – “Heard the coyote howl/Looking for your cat for dinner.” The entire song hovers over an air of inevitability – “You’re ready to jump but you can’t fly away” – as though things will never change. “King’s Landing” achingly features a young Dollbaum with dreams of literally flying away – “You took me to inquire ‘bout my pilot’s license today” – before realizing the farce of his highfalutin’ fantasy, settling for watching “reruns of ‘Cops’ episodes in our hometown/I Hope we catch one where the bad guy gets away.”
Despite everything noted above, Birds of Paradise is far from a depressing listen. Even if the dreams of the characters populating the songs are largely unattainable, it’s still worth dreaming, and the jangly rocker that wraps the album bears that out. “Blue Meets Blue” admittedly begins with a death – “When they told me that you died/I drove every place we lived/Thinking I sure wish I could see you.” Even if the sadness is unavoidable, though, there’s still value in a memory – “To a place that reminds me of you/Where blue meets blue.” Dollbaum’s singing a much more elegant version of “touch grass” – even when life’s at its worst, there’s still beauty in the world. Even if it requires a little magical thinking to see it.
Song I Can’t Wait to Hear Live: “Coyote” – This pensive rocker, even without the presence of MJ Lenderman, would be astounding for its storytelling alone – “As you rose, you glimmered with gold before you burned out.” Devastating, but you can’t stop listening.
Birds of Paradise was produced by Clay Jones and Thomas Dollbaum, engineered and mixed by Jones and mastered by Carl Saff. Songs written by Thomas Dollbaum. Musicians on the album include Dollbaum (guitar, vocals), Nick Corson (bass, drums, guitar, piano), Josh Halper (guitar, bass, percussion) and Jake Lenderman (drums, percussion, backing vocals, guitar).
Go here to order/stream Birds of Paradise (out May 22): https://thomasdollbaum.bandcamp.com/album/birds-of-paradise
https://lnk.to/DollbaumBOP
Check out tour dates here: https://thomasdollbaum.bandcamp.com/album/birds-of-paradise