LA-based band Milly have released their second single “Birds Fly Free”, following on from last month’s “Denial”. Both songs are off their upcoming EP Wish Goes On which will be released April 9 via Dangerbird Records. On the new song, they say:
““‘Birds Fly Free’ is a full send off on those that I’ve wronged and those that’ve wronged me. Writing this song served as an act of forgiveness in a time where I was really unhappy with the people I considered closest to me in my life. It feels like saying goodbye with an overarching sense of finding freedom.”
“Birds Fly Free” further continues their 90s-influenced shoegaze rock sound with its slow tempo, heavy guitar and bass that creates a soundscape both comforting and abrasive. “I wish I knew how to tell you / Everything in the rainbow / Like what if this is the last time?” begins lead singer Brendan Dyer, before admitting that the person doesn’t “deserve that shit.”
It creates a lyrical contrast to their first single “Denial”, which moodily yearned for the past, while “Birds Fly Free” seems more about repairing wounds to have a better future. As per the above quote, there is indeed a sense of exploring the internal freedom that comes with accountability and forgiveness. “When hurt birds fly free / This life goes on / Could it be all you want?” Dyer asks on the chorus rather existentially.
The song spends its last minute providing a cathartic instrumental where there is an atmosphere of uncertain triumph. It simultaneously creates an ending that is intense as if untangling oneself from the brambles of past wrongs but also, in this process, allowing listeners to see there’s a light which follows a painful journey.
You can watch the music video for “Birds Fly Free” below or listen to the song on streaming platforms.
Milly’s upcoming EP Wish Goes On will be released April 9 through Dangerbird. You can find the band on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
