AMG Review of Bird Wood Cage

Jason Ankeny
All Music Guide

Bird Wood Cage remains one of the most pivotal records in the Wolfgang Press catalog; here, the trio begins to incorporate the dance and funk elements which would ultimately emerge as the dominant facet of their work. The lead single, "King of Soul," with its female backing chorus, is the first tip-off, while the Talking Heads-like "Kansas" adopts a wah-wah guitar line; a bit of dub even underscores "Hang on Me (For Papa)." Michael Allen's forbidding vocals are also warmer and more soulful, and while the group's trademark gloom hangs over the proceedings, a significant transformation in both musical and emotional outlook is clearly afoot, leaving Bird Wood Cage as the bridge from the Wolfgang Press' past to their future.