Tiny Dinosaur parallels another contemporary indie/folk band, Big Thief. And not just for the apparent genre similarities and dinosaur iconography, but for their lyrical and eccentric approach to songwriting. Similar to folk artists of old like John Prine, they use folk imagery and sound to tell humorous and meaningful stories. Where Big Thief will write an Appalachian-style song about potatoes and the profound interconnectedness of the universe, Tiny Dinosaur will create a cinematic track about a robin bird’s destiny and all the metaphors “leaving the nest” could mean.

Tiny Dinosaur’s debut, Songs for the Mass Extinction Event, features playful arrangements with instruments like banjo, melodica, güiro, and accordion juxtaposed to classy viola, standing bass and keys. The backing vocals from Dusky Waters and Trilly Nelson add a similar contrast to lead vocalist Josey Krafczynski’s twang. The result is lush tracks that sound as interesting on close listening as in passing.

The band’s fun-loving approach is attributed to their causal origins. Krafczynski met Dusky Waters through a dodgeball league before playing music together, and slowly grew the band from there. They planned to release the album in 2020, but the debut was pushed back due to the pandemic. During that time, the group could harness each of the six members’ contributions.

“Who Put The Wu-Tang Next to Sgt. Pepper?” features deep, pounding drums and bass accented by fiery strings and banjo. It’s a goofy song about catching the record collection goblins that disturb a diligent music fan’s carefully organized vinyl at night.

Like an alleyway chicken coop between shotgun houses, Tiny Dinosaur created an album that not only fits in perfectly with New Orleans, it stands out too.