I’ve always tried to steer clear of reviewing established acts that I’m unfamiliar with, and instead have tried my best to focus on new and upcoming talent. There are couple of reasons. Firstly, I don’t feel I have much to contribute to the the conversation about a band’s 10th album say, if I have no experience of the 9 that preceded it. I have no notion of how it compares to past work. What led to this point, how has their sound shifted and changed, is this their opus or a by-the-numbers affair. It feels like trying to review a book based on a single chapter. I find myself hamstrung by the weight of all that came before.

All of that stuff isn’t just context, it’s a journey, and it’s most fun to ride alongside from the very beginning. Follow along with every step, cheer on your favourite underdogs whenever they hit a new milestone, marvel as they move on to bigger and better things. Chasing that feeling is a huge part of why I do this. Progressive trio Exploring Birdsong is one such act I’ve been keeping an eye on for a while now; ever since seeing them live pre=covid. Between Lynsey Ward’s stellar vocals, Matt Harrison’s intricate percussion, and Johnny Knight’s ability to craft such a rich, full sound – the three of them left a strong impression on me. Their fun earworms, their gut-punch riffs, all achieved without a guitarist in the line-up. There’s a uniqueness and a promise that lured me in for the ride. Following a string of superb singles, threading through their phenomenal EP Dancing in the Face of Danger, all leading here: their debut album.

The artwork is a bit dull – let’s address that, and swiftly push it to one side. Beyond that, Ever House We Built is just as abuzz with promise and potential as I expected it to be. The broody cinematic opener ‘Archipelago’ gives way to the big singles ’42’ and ‘Romanticise’. These tracks are textbook Birdsong, a perfect introduction for new listeners. They have this uncanny ability to craft a fun, accessible hook and somehow use it as a launching point to hit you with a heavy metal breakdown out of nowhere. That trajectory is what immediately springs to mind when I think of the band, but some of the album’s most interesting moments lie in the tracks that move away from that formula.

‘I_You’ and ‘Cartography’ introduce strings into the equation a take a detour into a sweet and elegant chamber pop sound. The title track and ‘Meadowlands’ are both stunning slow burners than save the best for last. The former letting tension slowly bubble with subtle electronics, until the music drops out for a cathartic moment of impassioned gang vocals before crashing back in for the grand finale. The latter a gorgeous piano ballad that gradually ascends into something more grand and celestial, culminating in an anthemic sing-along outro. Yet for me the standout track – and indeed one of my favourite songs of the year – has to be ‘Spy In The House Of Love’. It sees the band double down on their pop sensibilities, pairing one of their best hooks to date with a hearty dollop of 80s synths, and the end result is utterly addictive. However, hearing the band so laser focused on this track does also draw attention to how the album as a whole falters.

Exploring Birdsong’s superb versatility is both their greatest strength and their Achilles heel. They can pull off fun hooks, brutal riffs, atmospheric moments, and complex prog with ease, but they seem to try to cram all of these elements in together without giving them room to breathe. A delicate atmosphere drowned out by a heavy breakdown, some intricate instrumentation cut short for a returning chorus etc. I find my enthusiasm for what’s here is a little hamstrung by what could be, by the weight of what’s to come. I’d love to hear a future record that explores all the constituent pieces of their sound individually in greater depth. More pop perfection in the vein of ‘Spy In The House Of Love’. Further embracing elegant chamber pop, or haunting gothic balladry. A track that pushes their metal credentials to the limit, sat alongside an ambitious, sprawling prog epic. Thankfully this house they’ve built is but the first of many, the band’s journey still very much in its early stages still. All the pieces are here; this is just the start.