Review: Exploring Birdsong – Dancing in the Face of Danger

Style: Progressive Rock, Art Rock (Clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Lunatic Soul, Gazpacho, Einar Solberg, White Moth Black Butterfly
Review by: Christopher
Country: UK
Release date: 24 March, 2023

If you keep up with underground prog rock, then you might know of a little trio working out of Liverpool called Exploring Birdsong. Their debut EP, The Thing With Feathers, was a barnstorming work of accessible, modern progressive/art rock with no guitars, instead driven by prominent piano and the gorgeously strong vocals of Lynsey Ward. Nearly four years later, the Scouse triumvirate have returned with a sophomore EP to whet our appetites. 

The most obvious difference present on follow-up release Dancing in the Face of Danger is the inclusion of a large contingent of synth and electronica influences—from the programmed trip-hop style drums on opening number “Pyre” to the thick, distorted synths that cavort with the bass on “The Way Down” in a riff that’s as close as this group come to Tesseract style djenting. This development is akin to the electronica influence in Lunatic Soul; indeed, the synth intro to “Ever the Optimist” took me straight back to Fractured, while the later synth solo would easily be at home in a Yes single. All this layering beefs up their sound; compared to the somewhat minimalist interplay between piano, bass and drums on The Thing With Feathers, Exploring Birdsong sound a lot bigger here; they’re prog rock’s equivalent to the tiny yet mellifluous and stentorian wren. 

As much as I enjoy Exploring Birdsong’s experimentation with a larger overall sound with further layers, I nevertheless find myself enjoying their throwbacks to the more stripped bare vibe of The Thing With Feathers more, which is why “Bear the Weight”—which recalls the proggier work of Iamthemorning with its centering of Ward’s vocals and piano work, later elevated by a string section—and “No Longer We Lie” are my favourite tracks. Ward’s vocals have always been the main attraction, and while there are more experiments in layering her vocals in backing tracks, the increased layering of elements on this release sometimes threaten to water her contribution down.

I’d be remiss not to mention bassist Jonny Knight (who also handles keyboard parts alongside Ward), who provides substantial substance, whether it’s the frankly crazy bass solo at the end of “Pyre”, the djent-inspired riff he leads on “The Way Down”, or his fun little slide-and-tap verse riff in “Ever the Optimist”, he proves a vital contributor. Likewise, Matt Harrison’s drumming is unflashy yet nuanced and, while I can’t be sure, I suspect he experiments with some alternative percussion instruments because there are some interesting beats at play throughout Dancing in the Face of Danger; the two performers together make for a vital rhythm section that complements Ward’s more overt presence. And of course, the overall sound is impeccable thanks to the busiest masterer of modern prog, the one and only: Jens Bogren.

On this sophomoric EP, Exploring Birdsong demonstrate a clear desire to push themselves into a new phase of their career, and for the most part their playful experiments in layering the tracks thicker really works. I’d love to hear a full-length from this talented scouse trio upon which they can really spread their wings (or should that be ‘explore their birdsong’?), and break out of the compositional confines of the twenty-five minute EP format. For now, Dancing in the Face of Danger is sure to satiate existing fans and newcomers alike; a fitting follow-up for a very talented group. 

Recommended tracks: Bear the Weight, The Way Down, Pyre
You may also like: Iamthemorning, Evan Carson, Mariana Semkina, Meer, Haven of Echoes
Final verdict: 7.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Long Branch Records – Bandcamp | Website | Facebook

Exploring Birdsong is:
– Lynsey Ward (vocals, keyboard)
– Jonny Knight (bass guitar, keyboard)
– Matt Harrison (drums)