Glasgow quartet Birdvox offer another glimpse of forthcoming debut album Shamming The Drama with ‘Shape Of A Friend’, a wonderfully warm celebration of the friendships built for everything from nights out and questionable decisions to flat-pack furniture and simply sitting together doing nothing. As Sarah Hayes explains, it’s about “that feeling of muddling through together, whether it’s celebrating the wins or commiserating in the difficult times.”
Opening with beautiful, birdsong-like flute, ‘Shape Of A Friend’ settles into a dreamy 80s synth-pop sway, filled with shimmering synths, warm melodies and distinctly retro rhythms. There’s a touch of Fleetwood Mac’s folk-rock sensibility within the melody and even some of Strawberry Switchblade’s whimsical charm, while the instrumentation gives the whole thing a magical quality of its own. Four-part vocals and layered harmonies add further warmth without overwhelming the song, allowing that distinctive flute and glowing synths to remain at its heart.
There’s a slight tint of melancholy beneath all that warmth, but the chorus provides the perfect little lift as responsibilities are cast aside in favour of a simple fuck it, let’s hang out. It’s joyful without becoming overly sentimental: a dreamy ode to the people with whom doing absolutely nothing can somehow feel like everything.
