"With Birds from Dead Red Sea, moody and caressing waves of lyrical beauty fall over you, inspiring you to sing along before you even know the words. The emotions capture you and steal you away, until you're lost within the music. The sadness, the loss, the angst, are rendered in shades of truth and energy. The songs roll into a dynamic swirl of melodic aggression, with the vocals keeping the music moving forward until, with a soft sigh, you're at the end." - Big Takeover

"Dead Red Sea's unique blend of melodic indie rock and bluesy beats give the songs on Birds a sort of soothing, melancholy mood, while the music itself is something to lie back, tap your heels and snap your fingers to. The effect floors me more each time I hear it. Birds is full of monumental, awe-inspiring songs that demand to be heard - or rather absorbed - time and again with their hook-filled rhythmic guitars and pacifying vocals. Birds is now one of the most cherished records in my entire collection...another gem stamped with a Deep Elm logo. Songs like Obscene Calls and Somewhere In The Universe are likely to remain among my most-played tracks for a long time." - Punk International

"Fans of Cross My Heart rejoice, as their most visible characteristic - the strong, rich, and passionate vocals of Ryan Shelkett - are present in Dead Red Sea on Birds. Shelkett has finally found the creative outlet he's been looking for in this new band. His vocals feel at home as there's a sense of melancholy roots-rock underlying most of the songs. It's in these softer melodies and more deliberate structures that Shelkett's vocals are able to really shine. His strong, emotional voice it fits perfectly, and in these quieter, more despondent songs, he and the rest of the band creates some mellow and emotional indie rock." - Delusions Of Adequacy

"When Cross My Heart decided to call it quits, the kids didn't have to be morose for long; their demise has consequently blessed us with this project, Ryan Shelkett's Dead Red Sea and their debut, Birds. This is Ryan's emo side coming through - spacey arrangements, delicately plucked guitars and whispery vocals are the name of the game, and Dead Red Sea inject more than enough originality to pull it off and keep it interesting. Experimentation with different sonic palettes like the country guitar on It's So Hard To Be Alive or the Agent Orange-esque guitar on the title track make Birds a really fascinating listen. It's impossible to tell what this band is going to do next. I mean, have you ever heard of an emo band being compared to Agent Orange? That in itself should tell you that these guys aren't content to follow the beaten path. As for songwriting, of course this is top notch. Lyrically, Ryan's melancholic obsession on mental illness carries through this record, as Love Is In the Air And Is Floating Away and Nowhere, Nothing give a good impression of the general lyrical tone. Dead Red Sea will have you doing back flips in your bedroom." - Deep Fry Bonanza

"Ryan Shelkett of Dead Red Sea is the driving force on Birds, with a somber voice and some almost Neil Young-caliber guitar blues. High compliments are not spoken lightly, and Dead Red Sea nail all that is great with Bad Man, a song as depressing as it is lovely. The band has variance and talent, yanking charms out of their hat such as the instrumental mantra of the title track. Whether musical jams sans vocals, or poetry driven tales and tunes of woe, Dead Red Sea are interesting and endearing. Impressive." - Friction

"I'm greatly impressed by Dead Red Sea and their debut Birds. With song titles like Love Is In The Air And Is Floating Away and It's So Hard To Be Alive, bouncy, happy pop is clearly not on the agenda. But unlike many singers, Ryan Shelkett knows how to carry a tune, and does so without sounding stuffed up. More importantly, the music on Birds sounds extremely full...a far cry from the simple picking and chord progressions practiced by many bands for whom screaming about broken hearts is a higher priority than musical ability. To my ears, Birds is thing of beauty." - Splendid

"Deep Elm Records continues to impress with Birds from the Baltimore quartet Dead Red Sea. Like their label mates, front man Ryan Shelkett and company create indie rock that's a cut above the competition. The highlight track, We're Not Kids Anymore is wistful and melancholy...a patient showcase for Shelkett's considerable songwriting talent. The indie rock sound is all in place...strained, sparse and subdued, but it never gets boring and never goes drifting." - Suite 101

"Dead Red Sea have a sound on Birds that is stripped down, clean and very atmospheric. Dead Red Sea are that time just before the sun comes up, when it's cold and dark and you're drifting into an alcohol induced coma, snug under the duvet and forgetting that you're even alive. October music for sure." - Fracture

"Very impressive, Birds from Dead Red Sea features clean sparkling guitars coupled with patient rhythms. Laid back emo rock that's well played with nice changes and an overall sound that just oozes class. There's also some jazzy elements that add an extra touch to the already confident songwriting, and Dead Red Sea's quality becomes increasingly apparent with repeated listens." - Mass Movement

"Dead Red Sea churns out gently rolling emo and duly satisfying songs on Birds. Very deliberate, but that in no way takes away from the joy of these pieces. The song construction is simple and direct...almost in the realm of alt country singer / songwriters, though the sound itself is still emo: Vaguely atonal guitars, less-than-perfect vocals and strident rhythms. All this makes for a good mix. Dead Red Sea veers from influence to influence, depending on the needs of the song. The overall sound is thick and full. I like the way these songs have come together. It's hardly typical, but close enough to be comfortable. I surely would like to hear how these boys develop their ideas in the next couple of years. Will be most interesting." - Aiding And Abetting

"Birds is a pretty neat disc from Dead Red Sea that falls in the range of heavier emo, with moments of darker, bluesy rock. Featuring the great vocalist Ryan Shelkett from Cross My Heart, Birds is a natural progression in sound and spirit, but with a more open feel. Dead Red Sea are often direct with their song structures, and no wandering guitar parts slow down their pace of venting. After a few spins, I'm growing to like this more and more. Emo for the heavy at heart." - Pastepunk