DEARY
Birding (Bella Union)
Summoning inspirations such as Cocteau Twins and other dreampop pioneers, on their debut album London’s Deary do good not to fade helplessly into the genre, and it’s their strong visual identity, storytelling ability, and lyrical emphasis that sets them aside from merely playing tribute to those who came before them.
Birding’s opener Smile captures this perfectly. Delving into the stark topic of violence against women, using darker riffs and heavier moments of percussion to reflect such intensity, frontwoman Dottie Cockram sings with a lush yet haunting quality: “Not everyman, just another / Somebody’s son, somebody’s brother.”
More surprising are the instrumental tracks – quiet yet all-consuming, these moments are reminders of the world Deary wish to build when lyrics and vocals take a backseat. On Birding, a beautiful piano melody paired with ethereal windchimes concludes the album subtly, if not anticlimactically, and leaving listeners wondering if that child ever took flight.
words RHYS JAMES
