A few months ago we gave you a taster of British Birds when we featured their excellent single ‘Open It Close It‘ as our Video Of The Week. These kinds of things can either go one way or the other – sometimes, you get excited about a band from one song, but the more you hear of them, you realise that the record you were salivating over was their only worthwhile release.
On other occasions, the more you hear, the more you love, the band seemingly getting better and better with each composition. I am extremely happy to report that Chorley band British Birds fall, rather magnificently, into the latter category.
If you aren’t already hooked by the ‘Talking Heads / Plants And Animals stylings, with that driving rhythm reminiscent of ‘Pounding‘ by Doves‘, on opener ‘Dull Boy‘, which steamrollers on with a fabulous Pixies-like outro that is as genius as it is ebullient, or the classic Nick Lowe style songwriting of ‘My Bar‘, vocals provided by frontman Bobby Mambo, then just wait until the third, Ellie Winstanley and Emma Townson fronted track here, ‘That Monster‘, which would have been perfect as a peak period 4AD release, sharing the hallmarks of bands like Throwing Muses, Lush, Cocteau Twins and The Breeders all at once, its filthy, grungy final 30 seconds being like the nectar of the gods.
‘Scowl‘ is poppier but no worse for it – in fact, that menacing Violent Femmes like bassline rather makes it unshakeable from your brain. British Birds are actually becoming the unthinkable at this point in time – one of those artists I’m excited about new releases by, and there really aren’t that many of those around these days!
‘Indigo‘ is something like a late ’60s Kinks album track, which is just about as big a compliment as I could possibly give a band, while finale ‘Open It Close It‘ we touched on earlier. Yet somehow it sounds even better here, its urgent introduction, infectious melody and fabulous use of the cowbell making it sound equally – well, in actual fact even more – compelling than it did to my ears back in June.
British Birds are on the rise. You’d be a fool to miss out on this superb EP. It’s available on Bandcamp now.
