A luscious collection of instruments, some polished vocals and a funky assortment of rhythms are pieced together in Jesse Sheehan’s debut album. And it is rather fantastic. No two songs are similar and each contains developed melodies and rhythms that build very purposeful pieces. The versatility of Sheehan’s voice allows tracks like Girl to carry a slower R’n’B style groove with some melodic and delicate vibrato, while in Stone Girl he lets loose to the faster beat and delivers a raw, wild sound. His engagingly real and diverse vocals aside, what’s particularly striking about this album are the instrumental arrangements. Produced by Neil Finn, ‘Drinking With The Birds’ uses numerous musicians and many fine sounds that seem to pop up in each song just at the moment you begin to thirst for it. Among the very large band, a harp appears in Girl and cello in Sentimental Fool, both standing out as they enrich and build thick textures that give quite a mature sound. These non-traditional pop instruments add character and charm, as well as anticipation in listening to each new song, not knowing what will appear. Sheehan and Finn have done an incredible job; the lyrics and vocals are outstanding, the band is outstanding, and the whole album is a work of art.