Although they formed during the COVID lockdown in 2020, London based deary sounds like they could have come straight from the early 90s when dream pop and shoegaze were in some of their most formative stages. Their two prior EPs showcased a band that already had a mastery of the type of distortion laden melodies, shimmering layers of sound, and rawer emotions that made this type of music so compelling. This year’s Birding further refines that core approach and brings a fuller and more polished production with it that enhances the atmosphere and impact on the listener. Representing a little bit of everything 90s alternative while still pushing in a direction of its own, this album has the ability to captivate from beginning to end.
Where a lot of modern shoegaze adjacent bands go purely for the wall of distortion and loud riffing, what separated deary from the pack for me was their understanding of how to effectively fill space. Opener “Smile” is a perfect example, as it start off at a whisper with subdued, droning melodies that build to a climax of booming drums and soaring, reverb laden guitars. The shifts between soft and loud are utilized effectively on each song, but how they move between the two changes and gives each one more of an identity. This is also showcased through the way the rhythms shift, as the drums sometimes adopt a more urgent cadence while other times they have a more laid back and exploratory feel. Stylistically deary continues to pull in a lot of 90s dream pop/shoegaze, with songs like “Baby’s Breath” and “Alma” sounding close to Slowdive’s Souvlaki, but other moments pull from across the alternative spectrum. Personally, I heard elements that were closer to Mazzy Star and even some of PJ Harvey’s work, but “No Sweeter Feeling” and some of the other tracks head into trip hop territory that’s a bit closer to Portishead. Yet even with all these nostalgic elements, Birding doesn’t feel like it’s treading too close to any of these artists in particular and the way it fuses these influences together has a flair of its own. Deary remains consistent from beginning to end, and even much softer cuts like “Garden of Eden” hold you in their grasp. The only nitpick I have is that the longest track “Alfie” is just a bit overstretched and doesn’t fully justify its seven-and-a-half-minute run but considering how strong the material is overall this isn’t a huge deal.
The importance of the guitar melodies and powerful drumming shouldn’t be ignored, but Dottie Cockram’s singing is what really completes the package and makes Birding so entrancing to listen to. Her voice hovers over the recording with an ethereal quality on the more reverb heavy tracks, but on others it takes on a more powerful sound that instantly draws you in. This is also true on the softer moments like “Garden of Eden”, where the subtleness of the instrumentals lets Cockram’s voice take center stage. It’s during these moments there is a bit more fragility and rawness to the performance, which gives me hints of the type of performances you’d hear on MTV Unplugged. Where some shoegaze adjacent bands opt to bury their vocals under the distortion, deary’s decision to put their singing as one of the most prominent elements works to their advantage and there are quite a few passages that have been stuck in my head since the first time through.
Birding is a confident step forward for a band that feels like the encapsulation of classic 90s dream pop and shoegaze but still has enough unique qualities to make deary stand out. The way that the songwriting utilizes both huge, booming sections and sparser ones where the subtler elements can shine through works well and keeps you engaged all the way through. It’s exciting to hear this group continue to evolve, and their first full length album showcases that this new generation of dream pop and shoegaze musicians can offer music that is as high quality as their inspirations. Birding is available from Bella Union.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
