Dead Oceans

North Carolina’s domesticated duo Bowerbirds transform a series of harrowing events, including a life-threatening illness, a dramatic dog rescue and a trial separation from one another, into the purport of their warmest and most realized effort to date. Recorded at Bon Iver’s April Base Studio in Wisconsin, The Clearing contains 11 new tracks that wholly expand on Beth Tacular and Phil Moore’s spare, earthy freakfolk formula by filling out the empty spaces with richer, denser arrangements that implement elements of full-on percussion, electric guitar, vibraphone, melodica, piano and even a horn section. And as key cuts like kinetic opener “Tuck the Darkness In” and the soulful “Death Wish” signify, the added sonic sprawl makes the themes of appreciation and understanding exhibited on the Birds third release all the more illuminating.