Poisonous Birds – ‘We Can Never Not Be All of Us’

By Yasmin Brown

Before hitting play on Poisonous Birds’ latest EP, try for just a minute to break down its title. 

Confusing, right?

That pretty much sums up this collection of tracks – an insight into the chaotic yet brilliant minds of this Bristol based trio. Throughout, you’ll find a strange combination of musical elements, and it’s this boundless experimentation that makes ‘We Can Never Not Be All Of Us’ such a standout in what is an increasingly oversaturated industry. 

The band have been described as being “naturally intellectually instinctive”, and as you make your way through each track, this starts to make perfect sense as you feel – rather than hear – every beat, every word, every note… The sensation builds up before you can even comprehend the individual parts that form each song, making this EP a full body experience. 

Opening track ‘We Move, Plastic’, for example, builds up to a crescendo like no other. Maintaining one steady beat throughout, the warped vocals, falsetto, and unfathomably hectic synths take it on a journey from measured to manic over the duration of the track – a journey you simply cannot keep up with. 

This mania is, ironically, maintained in ‘Mood Stabiliser’ where dreamy vocals are juxtaposed with garish synths, transporting you back to sweaty clubs with outrageous lighting and a combination of alcohol and drug-induced freedom from inhibition. It lends itself perfectly to what comes next – an ethereal strings and piano driven piece that finally settles, leaving your chest feeling heavy and enticing you to focus on your breath for the first time since this amazing journey began. It’s a sombreness that’s carried through into ‘True Colour’, the now deep vocals matching the overarching melancholy mood and churchlike nature of the track, closing this more delicate and most painful chapter of the EP.

What comes next is utter carnage, and what might be the longest track name since Fall Out Boy went on hiatus. ‘I was sat by the window and there was a bright light and I was very sad’ is a gigantic instrumental, its massive beats a stand out feature followed closely by the blaring, uncontrolled synths. The EP in general feels carefree, but this track in particular screams “fuck it” as the trio seemingly follow through with each and every train of thought, using this penultimate track as a home for all of their whims.

It’s only fitting that after such a manic few minutes, the track should finally settle down, fading to nothing after further implementation of angelic vocals and electronic experimentation. This EP leaves you feeling entirely satisfied, and yet simultaneously wishing it went on forever.

Poisonous Birds are already at the top of their game, and this EP is just the beginning – who knows what heights they’ll take us to next, but we can’t wait to find out.

YASMIN BROWN

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