Towa Bird becomes an ‘American Hero’ in their debut album

Towa Bird’s fans have been waiting in anticipation for American Hero, the singer’s debut album, which has seen six single tracks, until its complete release on June 28, 2024. American Hero is a carefully crafted album which successfully encompasses the multitude of Bird’s artistry, signalling the perfect introduction to their musical career.

Beginning with ‘Intro’, American Hero cleverly commences with an instrumental that sores into a live performance to portray the multi-faceted talent of Bird, who can shred their guitar both confidently in the studio and alongside an audience. Bird’s ability to showcase their talent as a guitarist, who is deeply inspired by Jimi Hendrix, is a prominent motif throughout American Hero. With undertones of a roaring crowd, ‘Intro’ exhibits a rarity in a debut album: an iconic starting track highlighting the musical journey that listeners will experience during the album. The track alerts listeners to the sonic components of Bird’s discography and their embodiment of an American rock star. The opening track is similar to those of The 1975, as each of their albums sees a title track ‘The 1975’, exuding an introductory overview of the sonic tone each album provides.

The second track ‘FML’ welcomes new listeners of Bird to their artistic shine, being able to intertwine delicate vocals with a rock-infused melody. This once soothing vocal is transformed into bellowing exclamations from Bird, who states “Fuck my life! ‘Cause I can’t live without you!”. ‘FML’ expresses the preciousness of time, especially with a significant other, as introspective moments highlighted with mellow vocals become bursts of overwhelming emotion with loud exclamations and punchy instrumentation.

American Hero encapsulates Bird’s ability to be lyrically playful

‘FML’ is pivotal in providing insight into Bird’s nature as a lover. A lover who remains in their head, yearns, and loves both delicately and passionately. This same nature is exhibited in ‘Boomerang’, American Hero’s first single, and ‘May Flower’, which both depict Bird’s reliance on their partner to reciprocate their level of love for a sense of their own fulfilment.

American Hero encapsulates Bird’s ability to be lyrically playful. It is especially rare for an artist, during their debut, to present themselves in a jocular manner through their lyrical content and the explicitness of their song’s themes. This, however, enhances Bird’s respectability as an artist as their songs are carefully constructed and deeply personal. For instance, Bird’s wit and explicitness were presented during their introduction to ‘Drain Me!’ during a performance of the track at Terminal 5, they stated, “this one is about lesbian sex… about lesbians having sex and I am the lesbian in question”. As the track commences with its iconic instrumentation, Bird does not shy away from themes of sex with its upfront and sensual lyrics; “tip of my tongue / sweet and sour / back of my car / in the shower”. Bird creates a platform that challenges the ‘norm’ of modern rock by demonstrating non-male perspectives on queer life, love, sex, relationships, and identity without appealing to the male gaze.

Bird’s ability to challenge conceptions of modern rock remains pertinent throughout American Hero as not every track is embedded with explicit depictions of sexual intimacy – there remains a heartfelt sincerity through its delicate approach to love and romance. Whilst still being honest and upfront, ‘Sorry Sorry’ portrays the relatable queer experience where a situation between friends turns into them being potential lovers. The track attentively details a circumstance in Bird’s life as the lyricism connotes a high degree of sentimentalism. The lyrics, “if we’re starting something / it’ll be the start of the end / don’t want another lover / if it means losing you as a friend / I hope you understand”, emphasise the necessity to protect the sacredness of a relationship, fearing negative progress will jeopardise the foundations of the relationship (whether platonic or romantic). Additionally, ‘Last Dance’ explores a retrospective insight into a long-distance friendship, being forced to love the person from afar but being able to “fall together perfectly” when reunited. In ‘Last Dance’ Bird yearns for togetherness, especially through the lyrics, “And now you’re gone / and my heart is empty / but we got this song / so you won’t forget me”.

Like with many debut albums, American Hero portrays the experimental side of Bird

However, with tracks like ‘B.I.L.L.S.’ and ‘This Isn’t Me’ Bird provides listeners with an identification of their placement in the music industry and wider society. ‘B.I.L.L.S’ utilises tongue-in-cheek lyricism to create an anti-capitalist anthem by delving into the possibility of one to lose control over their life due to the capitalist systems they are succumbed to, justifying them being “tired” “of paying rent” and “life’s expense”.  Whereas ‘This Isn’t Me’ explores Bird’s attempts at navigating their newfound artistry by not becoming too transfixed with fame. Both tracks display Bird using elements of 1990s Britpop, by utilising a variety of lyrical-style and sonic tones to express the duality of their artistry. This is especially seen through one track being upbeat, the other more mellow: one using playful lyrics, the other being serious and sincere.

Like with many debut albums, American Hero portrays the experimental side of Bird. ‘Ew’, one of the most notable tracks from the album, experiments with interspersed audio snippets from a phone call. This is a somewhat unexpected inclusion, given that Bird’s music displays modern interpretations inspired by classic rock, however, ‘Ew’ has an element of nostalgia embedded throughout which amplifies quintessential elements of Bird’s artistry whilst alerting listeners to Bird’s efforts to develop their own style.

American Hero concludes with ‘A Party’, a tender ballad surrounding the silent connections between two individuals, who can read each other’s minds and body language. Whilst serving as the perfect end to American Hero, listeners are exposed to the cyclical nature of this debut album, as ‘A Party’ loops straight into ‘Intro’, placing each track as a significant piece in the cohesive collection, which makes up the inner workings of Bird’s mind. Bird successfully displays wit, honesty, and vulnerability, alongside heightened angst in American Hero, making the album a powerful soundtrack to the lives of queer individuals, or any protagonist from a 1990s rom-com.

★★★★

Recommended Listening: ‘FML’, ‘Sorry Sorry’, ‘Ew’