Bird Hour

Listening to the whispery sketches on their debut feels like peering over their shoulders as they work in communion, piecing arcane alt-pop tunes together out of rudimentary guitar riffs and odd turns of phrase.

Pairing folksy instrumentation - often sparse, largely revolving around minimalist, repetitive guitars - with grungy textures, the best moments here are when these combine with the existential nature of the duo’s lyrics and emotive vocals, which can turn from saccharine harmony to discordant contrast on a whim.