In spite of the resultant buzz around Bird in the Belly’s 2018 debut album, The Crowing, the Sussex-based four-piece didn’t appear on my radar until the following year when the follow-up, Neighbours and Sisters, was released and immediately announced itself to me as one of the stand-out folk albums of the year. Another well-received follow-up, After the City, was released in 2022 and now, some four years later, we have their long-awaited follow-up.
With their typically forensic approach to unearthing compelling historical tales, Only Dogs as Friends tackles the theme of criminality and features a gruesome cast of notorious villains across its twelve songs which are drawn from a mixture of traditional broadsides, published poems and original compositions, all set to newly-composed melodies.
Ben ‘Jinwoo’ Webb: “We wanted to focus on outsiders – people who have been feared or were fearful. As always, we tried to find overlooked stories and songs and this album is very character driven.”
Highlights include the thrillingly dark title track, which tells the tale of a burglar who was shot dead in the Sussex coastal town of Shoreham-by-Sea but only identified when a stray dog came into the pub were his body was being held and immediately recognised it’s felonious former master.
Once again, Bird in the Belly’s trademark contrasting vocals of Ben Webb and Lucy Ward are ably backed by the immensely talented duo of multi-instrumentalist Tom Prior and percussionist, Adam Ronchetti.
Gripping story-telling, enchanting harmonies and beautifully-composed melodies, Only Dogs as Friends maintains the achingly high standards that Bird in the Belly have continued to set for themselves and is an utterly compelling album.
Released: 30 October 2026 https://www.birdinthebelly.com/
