Mega Bog’s music is at once mystical, violent, erotic, and deeply personal. The ever-evolving project of Seattle eccentric Erin Birgy has traversed noisy indie-pop, freaky lounge music, Joni Mitchell-esque jazz, and freewheeling psych-rock. Her latest album, Dolphine, creates a bizarre world in which all of those reference points exist, but are re-oriented to the point of unrecognition. As always, Birgy enlisted an army of collaborators—such as her long-standing guitarist Meg Duffy (Hand Habits), engineer James Krivchenia (Big Thief), and synth wizard Zach Burba (iji)—who bring their own artistic flairs to Birgy’s inimitable compositions. The end result is arguably Mega Bog’s most coordinated work yet, while still managing to sound like unplanned magic.
Although the record was informed by two abortions that Birgy endured, as well as the socio-political and environmental destruction of the world it was written in, Dolphine is ultimately a fairytale. Birgy caught interest in a myth that suggests humans evolved from sea creatures, but some chose to remain as dolphins and continue existing in the roaring sea. There are actual dolphin noises that pop into the mix on songs like “Fwee Again” and “Shadows Break,” which underscore Birgy’s outlandish humor and fantastical musical mind. But understanding Birgy’s deeply-woven lyrical threads is like reading poetry. Concentration and borderless imagination are required, and the interpretation you land on is fluid and dynamic, much like the music that soundtracks its story. © Eli Enis / Qobuz