The Stray Birds’ Parting Gift

The Stray Birds’ fourth album Let It Pass is an unplanned farewell record. Since the release of their 2016 album Magic Fire, Maya de Vitry and Oliver Craven ended their romantic relationship and, alongside Charlie Muench,the band questioned their future. But the trio persevered and decided to make a new record. Then in early July, a month after they announced Let It Pass and shared its first single, The Stray Birds disbanded, cancelled their planned tour, and stated that this would be their last album.
Let It Pass was written collaboratively around a table over a month’s worth of writing sessions. The album is a reflective journey that, in part, is about finding peace with your past. The opening track “The Bridge” speaks to this as de Vitry describes both the dismantling of a relationship and reconnecting to start something new. The trio also consider the past and future, and love’s transcendent presence through it all, on the tranquil “Nothing to Say About It Now.”

The Stray Birds explore their patchwork of emotions using a mix of quiet folk and bluesy Southern rock. Although the two sonic styles could be conflicting, the band makes the blend of genres move together naturally. “Quicksilver Highway” and “Miles and Miles” are both roadworn rock tracks whose full-bodied arrangements could rise above rush hour’s din. On the former track, a wailing guitar lick pops up throughout like a car’s headlights ripping through the night’s darkness, while the latter’s gritty guitar chug mirrors the hard-fought expressions of love within. 

Nestled in between are two more tender tracks with lyrics that are plenty loud. “Light as a Fire” — de Vitry’s vocals are particularly exquisite here — is a folk track whose warmth cushions The Stray Birds’ unpacking of emotional baggage. On “Better Than Bone,” a piano is softly played as de Vitryconfidently belts out lyrics of determination: “I am more than willing to fall again and again,” she sings. 

Let It Pass ends with a secular spiritual tune that has an infectiously fun groove. On “Long Table,” The Stray Birds, collectively, sing of peace and invite everybody to have a seat at their table. It feels like a reflection of how the album itself was made: the trio crafted their record by coming together despite disagreements, which is how they encourage others to act.
Let It Pass is a celebration of love, life, the endless possibilities the future holds, and The Stray Birds. May they fly away in peace.