Wallis Bird

This eighth studio album, and her first as sole producer, is a masterful exploration of “personal and collective grief.” Written between 2023 and 2025, the record was forged in the crucible of two parallel tragedies: the sudden death of her best friend and collaborator, Kevin Ryan, and the harrowing global crisis in Gaza.

The opening track, “And So Turns The Wheel,” sets the tone—a celestial folk ballad confronting the “love beyond life’s measure” that remains after a sudden loss. Throughout the album, Bird documents the intimate details of mourning, from packing up a friend’s home in “I’ll Take Anything” to the phantasmal visits in “Two Trees.” Yet, the record is never consumed by darkness; it is characterized by the indefatigable optimism that has defined Bird’s award-winning career.

The album also serves as a poignant witness to global suffering. Tracks like “I’m Your Witness” and “Let Me Buy You Flowers” channel the anguish of the conflict in Gaza, calling for human connection and resistance against inhumanity. For Bird, music became a “silent nurse,” a necessary tool for survival and community.

Recorded at her communal farmhouse north of Berlin, the production features a “tightly knit” circle of long-term collaborators, including her partner Tracey Kelliher. The result is a rich blend of folk, rock, acoustic, and pop that feels like “art as medicine.” While the songs grapple with hopelessness, the album’s legacy is one of profound hope, culminating in the spectral anthem “The Good Of The People.” It is a testament to resilience, community, and the enduring belief in human kindness.