Recording Artist
Brooklyn artist John Brodeur conceived Bird Streets as his return to a band format after a lengthy stint as a solo artist. The new point of view proved to be artistically freeing, moving Brodeur to officially adopt the moniker as his nom de guerre with the release of a self-titled 2018 LP. That album, produced by indie-pop hero Jason Falkner (Beck, Daniel Johnston), was a refreshing blast of classic-yet-modern melodic rock that received accolades from PopMatters (“a rock solid power-pop gem”) and NPR Music, which named Bird Streets a Slingshot Artist alongside then-emerging talents like Phoebe Bridgers and The Beths. Tours with Juliana Hatfield and Alana Davis followed, as did a groovy non-album single, “Come On,” which received airplay on the nationally syndicated World Cafe program.
For Lagoon, his second album under the Bird Streets name, Brodeur has widely expanded on the project’s collaborative foundation, enlisting production by Pat Sansone (Wilco), Michael Lockwood (Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple), Zach Jones (Sting) and Oscar Albis Rodriguez (A Great Big World), plus guest appearances from the likes of Mann, Ed Harcourt, John Davis of Superdrag, and Big Star's Jody Stephens. With mixing split between Sansone and Grammy winner Michael Brauer (Coldplay, John Mayer), and mastering by Pete Lyman (Brandi Carlile), Lagoon is an enormous step forward from an artist who has been hailed for his evocative storytelling and keen attention to craft. The inaugural release for L.A. label Sparkle Plenty Records, Lagoon has been called "sublime" (Coachella Valley Weekly), "luxurious and literate" (Rock & Roll Truth), and "an emotional tour de force" (Glide).