"The Rarest Birds" is a song by the British singer-songwriter

Alison Moyet Geneviève Alison Jane Ballard ( ; born 18 June 1961) is an English singer noted for her powerful bluesy contralto voice. She came to prominence as half of the duo Yazoo (also known as Yaz), but has since mainly worked as a solo artist. Her ...

, released in 2017 as the second single from her ninth studio album ''

Other Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

''. It was written by Moyet, John Garden and Sean McGhee, and produced by

Guy Sigsworth Guy Sigsworth is an English record producer and songwriter. During his career, he has worked with many artists, including Seal, Björk, Goldie, Madonna, Britney Spears, Kate Havnevik, Imogen Heap, Bebel Gilberto, Mozez, David Sylvian, Alanis M ...

Background

"The Rarest Birds" followed " Reassuring Pinches" as the second single from ''Other''. The track debuted on

Graham Norton Graham William Walker (born 4 April 1963), better known by his stage name Graham Norton, is an Irish actor, author, comedian, commentator, and presenter. Well known for his work in the UK, he is a five-time BAFTA TV Award winner for his comedy ...

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...

show on 3 June 2017 and released the following day as a digital download. A music video for the song premiered on 20 July. Directed by Steve Gullick, the video was shot in

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

and features Moyet's daughter Caitlin Ballard. In addition to the video, Moyet also performed the song on live on ''

The Graham Norton Show ''The Graham Norton Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by Graham Norton. It was initially broadcast on BBC Two, from 22 February 2007, before moving to BBC One in October 2009. It currently airs on Friday evenings, with Norton s ...

''. Speaking of the song, Moyet said it is a "paean to LGBTQ, to Brighton, to coming out after the darkest nights into the arms of those that delight in your flight". She further revealed to the music webzine ''

Drowned in Sound ''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums. History ''D ...

'' that the song "celebrates a place where a person can be who they were meant to be. It celebrates solidarity when it comes to individualism. It holds hands and calls time on silence, stillness, fear. It celebrates beautiful girls born boys. Stronger boys for being born girls. Freedom to identify where best we fit."

Critical reception

In a review of ''Other'', Maxie Molotov-Smith of ''Fortitude'' magazine described "The Rarest Birds" as the "torch song of ''Other''" and "possibly her best ballad to date". They added that the song was a "beaming ode to solidarity and identity, beginning with a smouldering glimmer before bursting into a beautiful aurora borealis in the chorus." ''

Record Collector ''Record Collector'' is a British monthly music magazine. It was founded in 1980 and distributes worldwide. History The early years The first standalone issue of ''Record Collector'' was published in March 1980, though its history stretches ba ...

'' commented of the song's "dense strings underpinning a gorgeous, panoramic melody". ''

SLUG Magazine ''SLUG'' – an acronym for ''SaltLakeUnderGround'', is a free monthly magazine based in Salt Lake City, Utah. SLUG Magazine features music, lifestyle, arts and events with interviews, reviews, and articles. Established in 1989, SLUG Magazine ha ...

'' wrote: "The poetry of "The Rarest Birds" reminds one of what a thoughtful lyricist Moyet has become over the years." ''The Spill Magazine'' felt the song was "current", yet "brings to mind the torch songs of the '60s, with beautiful orchestration and arrangements". The writer also believed the song featured one of Moyet's "strongest ever vocal performances". ''

The Music The Music are an English alternative rock band, formed in Kippax, Leeds in 1999. Comprising Robert Harvey (vocals, guitar), Adam Nutter (lead guitar), Stuart Coleman (bass) and Phil Jordan (drums), the band came to prominence with the releas ...

'' stated: ""The Rarest Birds" could have been plucked from her early '90s powerful soul-rock peak". ''Albumism'' picked the song as one of four "notable tracks" from the album, noting the song "celebrates the humanity of diversity". The American newspaper ''

Seattle Post-Intelligencer The ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' (popularly known as the ''Seattle P-I'', the ''Post-Intelligencer'', or simply the ''P-I'') is an online newspaper and former print newspaper based in Seattle, Washington, United States. The newspaper was foun ...

'' commented on the song's "pastoral melodies and epic chorus".

Track listing

#"The Rarest Birds" – 4:37

Personnel

– vocals *

– strings, synthesisers, piano, harpsichord, guitar, bass, sound design, producer *Chris Elms – programming, mixing, engineering *Jake Miller – programming, engineering *Tim Debney – mastering at Fluid Mastering

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rarest Birds 2017 singles 2017 songs Alison Moyet songs Songs written by Alison Moyet Song recordings produced by Guy Sigsworth