We head to Gorilla in Manchester to follow Exploring Birdsong’s progress on the music scene. As usual we expected music of high quality and we were not disappointed.

GLASSHAVEN

A better warm up for Exploring Birdsong could not have been more fitting as the competent Glasshaven gave us a pared down opening set.

With acoustic guitars, bass, drums and vocals this was very much Glasshaven Acoustic. Haunting vocalist, Alexandra Angelini admits that new song, Godspeed, will radically change before release but with the blend of guitars, synth, percussion and vocals, it retained the sort of mystery and power they are notorious for.

Plenty of applause greets Sacrifice. Like the headline act, they create an enveloping atmosphere like in their short opener where Angelini sang “they wrap their arms around you.” Albeit it short, Glasshaven set the stage impeccably.

EXPLORING BIRDSONG

I remember discussing Exploring Birdsong‘s last performance saying it being the best they had ever played. They surpassed even that this evening at Gorilla on the last night of their short tour promoting their awesome debut album Every House We Built. Almost every track from this album was on display tonight from this ever maturing trio.

Matt Harrison’s sometimes thuggish percussion on which he sometimes played unleashed hurtling rhythms and subtle, syncopated tempo. Jonny Knights bass can be melodic, grungy, take the lead solo and is always exciting. Lynsey’s vocals continue to instil goosebumps, provide swooning hypnotic melodies which dissipate and lift with the creative, poetic lyrics.

The whole band contribute to song writing and it’s because there seemed to be a theme developing when they offered songs to the group that the idea on houses emerged.

APPRECIATIVE AUDIENCE

Gorilla is not the largest of venues to say the least. Every inch of the floor is full with swaying, clapping, light shining adoring fans who greet each passing song with cheers. They are far from a sing-a-long band but many audience members fervently join in on several songs..

As the stage darkens, the expectant audience settle to the Gregorian choral harmonies and as a public announcement faded a stormy background noises rumbled into Archipelago (the stunning opening track of the album). The lively 42 followed and perhaps the most ‘commercial, sounding track of the album, I_ You, induces speedy clapping.

The tapping percussion intro accelerates into Arrhythmia with its synth sounds and echoing vocals. A brief bag piped sounding intro leads into Spy In The House Of Love with its catchy refrain before they took a break from the latest album. Lynsey vacates her keyboards to take centre stage to sing solo, Stitch, with a resonant backbeat accompanying her. The ever popular Pyre is sandwiched into the showcasing of Every House We Built, with the title track completing the main set.

MESMERISING

But the mesmerising performance was far from over as an eerie intro exploded with rapid drumbeats firing us into The Warning during which the audience accompanied the double beats. They began with the opening album track and ended with the expansive Meadowlands the final track on the album.

The music, elegantly weaved tonight, easily placed this concert as a highlight of the year. The album will, without doubt, be on our 2026 albums of the year.

Exploring Birdsong: Website

Glasshaven: Website

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