Secret Kids by Virgin of the Birds

9 out of 10 - "This is a marvellous record from beginning to end. There’s not a moment of ennui, not a single passage that you want to skip even after repeated listens. All this and a great Lemonheads reference too. This is one that is destined for my end of year lists." - AmericanaUK

9 out of 10 - "The late, great Vic Chesnutt once said that he liked the idea of using words in songs that no-one had used before. I'm guessing that Jon Rooney from Seattle feels the same way. ...On 'I Am A Bad Dreamer' he recalls 'I was carnal, I was careful' and makes you think all love songs should contain details like these. ...In short, these are songs that invite reverie and revelry; tunes to be devoured whole then savoured individually." - Whisperin' & Hollerin'

**** - "deft lyrics coming on like the product of a latter-day Lawrence from Felt ...beguiling, hypnotic and, yes, literate" - Shindig Magazine

"The music is a wide open expanse, but that expanse is wonderfully melodic. ...Secret Kids is a lot like watching time lapse photography of a zygote growing into a human being and it'll keep the most ADD listeners staring at their speakers and staying up all night." - Glacially Musical

"Equal parts melancholic and hopeful, songwriter Jon Rooney’s brand of lo-fi folk is essential listening for fans of Mac Demarco, Sunset Rubdown, and Lilys" - Killing Moon

"All of the songs have some hook to – sometimes in a very subtle way – grab your attention, but the album only reveals its true beauty upon repeated listening. There is always something new to discover, be it in the music or, maybe even more often, in the lyrics." - Find A Song Blog

"This album is a treasure not to be missed" - When You Motor Away

Secret Kids, the second LP from Seattle-based Virgin of the Birds, is set for release on vinyl and digital in October 2016 by Song, By Toad Records in the UK/Europe and Abandoned Love Records in the US. Named after a poor English translation of a Salvador Dali painting, Virgin of the Birds treads a line between intimate, lo-fi pop and the occasional grandeur of early art rock.

Songwriter Jon Rooney started Virgin of the Birds as a solo project in San Francisco in the mid-00’s then built an ace band while living in Austin, TX for a couple of years before settling in Seattle. After releasing a series of free, home-recorded EPs on Rooney’s own Abandoned Love Records, Virgin of the Birds caught the attention of Edinburgh-based blog and label Song, By Toad, leading to several solo shows in Edinburgh, the inclusion of a disc full of songs on the label’s limited edition Five-Year Anniversary Box Set and the release of Winter Seeds, their 2014 debut full-length album that The Herald Scotland described as “essential.” Three songs Virgin of the Birds recorded in Edinburgh appear on the Song, By Toad Split 12” ‘Volume 4’ released in July 2016 alongside tracks by Baltimore-based troubadour Viking Moses and Scottish artists Supermoon and digitalanalogue.

Named after a poor English translation of a Salvador Dali painting, Virgin of the Birds treads a line between intimate, lo fi folk and the occasional grandeur of early art rock.

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