Why do artists sometimes insist upon being difficult? I thought one of the whole points of producing art was to convey a message of some description. Sure, there is art that is less accessible than others are, but often that's because the message that the artist is trying to convey is perhaps more esoteric than what the average person on the street is used to. Even art that deliberately has no meaning is carrying a message of some sort, even if that message is often derided as being pompous, or, even worse, pretentious.

Ben Vida is the artist behind Bird Show, and he obviously wants to remind you at every possible opportunity that he's not just a musician, but that he's an artist. Not only is he an artist, but he's the type that deliberately tries to obscure what he's doing, resulting in a recording that is often impenetrable, frustrating, and dense. This is not music created for the casual listener, and it doesn't give up its secrets easily.

The music itself is a mixture of folk, progressive, and space-rock elements, with an emphasis on the folk. The closest well-known comparison I can make is that this album sounds a little bit like Paavoharju mixed with Tortoise. The lo-fi folk element is wrapped up in the cocoon of futuristic sounds and electronic fuzz, which loops and repeats away endlessly, covering the organic material inside with a curtain of synthetic noise.

Each track here is distinctive, having a different set of influences and sounds. Pilz, for instance, features scattered apart beats and strange processed vocals, where Lightning Ghost sounds like that "melting ice" music that nature documentaries set in Antarctica seem so fond of. Sleepers Keep Sleeping is warm and cozy, while On The Beach features sustained synth tones mixed with marching drums and various other forms of improvised percussion.

Still, while each track is pretty to listen to and interesting on its own, I can't help but feel that the music here is a little too obtuse. There's nothing wrong with making music that isn't easily accessible, but when you seemingly go out of your way to make it inaccessible, then you're crossing the line from edgy to pompous. There is some good music here, it's just a shame that it's wrapped up in all of this art.