Greg Kurstin produces, arranges and plays multiple instruments for
this jazz-pop-dance duo’s second album, with Inara George on vocals.
But the pair became victims to Kurstin’s success as an early producer
of Lily Allen, the British singer who’s big once again with her single,
“The Fear.” The Bird and the Bee basically sound like an Americanized
version of Allen, herself a brattier version of Dido. Artists like this
have come and gone so much since the late ’90s. Despite a few tunes
(“Diamond Dave” and “Witch”) that step out of the well-worn, syncopated
pattern, this is just a bit of light fare that will simply float away,
forgotten.
Sean Flinn
This article appears in Mar 12-18, 2009.