JM Airiss sophomore release continues an exploration of aural themes and tonescapes first introduced on Indian Summer, but the end result is a significantly stronger, more nuanced effort. Wild Birds is confident, bigger in its presentation, and Airis covers a lot of territory, crisscrossing from the swaggering to the solemn in the context of his continued odyssey into the darker psyche of Americana music; the prominence of synth notes, airy spaces and the relegation of guitars to a supporting role push Wild Birds to the edge of folk noir, if its even definable. All totaled, Wild Birds is a raw-eyed view from above, a polished reflection of the simplicity distance provides and a back-to-the-land reminder that not everyone in the city is singing songs about the hustle.