The Church of Birch

A few months ago I heard an interview with Diane Birch on NPR. I was intrigued. It wasn’t until her song “Fire Escape” showed up on a sampler from my music-pusher (see Summer Tours) that I sought out her full album. Once I started listening to it, I couldn’t stop. Her gospel-infused retro soul music had me hooked. When I saw that she was playing at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC, I had to check out her live show and see if she was the real deal. Last Tuesday I attended what can only be called the Church of Birch.

The daughter of a pastor, Birch is also a self-proclaimed former Goth* chick. Thus, the church analogy seems appropriate. Soon it may be the mega-church of Birch, as it’s not likely that she’ll be playing to audiences of 500 for long. She's on tour this fall and if you see that she’s performing in your town, buy a ticket. This young woman has a powerful voice that never wavers while she plays piano and keyboards. She has assembled a fantastic band that includes drums, bass, guitar, as well as trumpet.

During her set last week, she performed most of the songs from her debut album, Bible Belt, as well as an amazing version of Tom Petty’s “You Don’t Know How It Feels.” She spent most of the show behind a piano or electric keyboard, but she was engaging and mesmerizing. One expected everyone to say ‘Amen’ rather than applaud when she finished singing. Her songs are catchy, yet her emotions are at the surface in straight ahead love songs of regret like "Rewind" or about the difficulty of letting go in "Nothing But A Miracle." Her Goth influence comes out in songs like "Valentino," about the silent movie star of the 1920's and popular Goth icon. In concert, she told us that her song “Don’t Wait Up” is about sneaking out of the house and putting on all her make-up and Goth trappings, only to find her father waiting up when she finally returned home.

From her website it's clear that she was no poseur Goth chick. She sites the Sisters of Mercy, Joy Division, the Cure, and CHRISTIAN DEATH as inspiration. Christian Death? Now that’s some dark shit. Although the one song I recall from Christian Death, “Jesus Where’s The Sugar,” did have powerful female vocals and was surprisingly quite soulful for a Goth tune. I can hear the influence of these bands on Birch, but it's subtle. Her songs are not dark in the way Goth music can be and her music is ultimately blues and gospel-inspired. You want to sing along and say "hallelujah" with her, even when the lyrics are about lost love.

Birch stands out from the current onslaught of white women singing soul music these days. While I dig Amy Winehouse, Duffy, and Adele, Birch has a more power. Her voice is deeper and smoother than her contemporaries in the genre. In addition, she's a songwriter, composer, and piano-player. Perhaps it's the gospel influence of her upbringing that sets her apart. Birch spent years in southern Africa as well as the southern United States, rather than England like most of her retro soul peers. She brings all of these experiences of her young life into every note.


While some have compared Birch to Joni Mitchell, Laura Nyro, and even Karen Carpenter, it’s Carole King who comes to my mind. King has a folk pop sensibility, but her voice and piano playing has tinges of gospel. Listen to classics like "I Feel The Earth Move" and "Jazzman." If you don’t have her album Tapestry, go out and pick it up. She is a worthy SWIK Icon. You’ll know every song, even if you didn’t realize all those songs were hers.

Birch, following in King's footsteps, brings a powerful voice as well as song writing and arranging talent to the mainstream. We can only look forward to more. While I spend scant amount of time in churches these days, I will certainly be back to the Church of Birch. At least until she moves into mega-church status.


Hear Music
SWIK Birch (sorry, only two songs available on Grooveshark right now)
SWIK King
SWIK Retro Soul Chicks
SWIK Goth Mix

See Music
Diane Birch:Nothing But a Miracle (Live on Letterman), Fools (this looks like it's from the show at Le Poisson Rouge), Sweet River Tree
Carole King:Your So Far Away, I Feel The Earth Move, It’s Too Late

Buy Music
Diane Birch
Carole King

End Notes
*Goth: A subculture that tends to wear black clothing, particularly velvet and lace, accessorized by rosaries, crucifixes, or ankhs as well as white make-up and heavy black eye-liner. Goths, as the subculture's members are called, tend to take inspiration from the victorian era, rather than the gothic era as one might expect. Many Goths have a preference for slow, dark, and depressing music.
(The above is the author's own definition, based on her personal experience as a member of the Goth subculture in the late '80s and early '90's. The definition is in no way representative of the entire subculture.)