Murmurate, Oscillate

British Birds channel garage-punk bite, sharp English pop craft and a brilliantly DIY spirit on Murmurate, Oscillate. Based in Chorley, Lancashire, siblings Bobby Townson and Emma Townson write, record and create everything themselves, building a sound that feels immediate, ambitious and unmistakably theirs.

Opener Lie Down With Dogs, Stand Up With Fleas takes aim at weak authority, while Polka Dot Eyes follows Lancashire school friends returning from the Army physically and mentally damaged. Across the album, dark humour, social observation and personal reflections meet choruses that hit hard.

Scary Movies looks back at their grandfather’s love of horror, Just Like Them celebrates introversion, and Blame Game and Thunder Claps dig into relationship tensions. Drums come from Dominic Lawson, with Michael Aindley on Just Like Them, and bass from James Robinson.