Clay Birds - a separation from vanity

Labels: Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 10 May 2025

Tracklist:

1. an intuition of morality

2. to my dearly departed

3. to sell our fire would be the ultimate defeat

4. infinite regress

5. everything, everything

California's coming in hot when it comes to screamo at the moment and trust Zegema Beach Records to have their fingers on the pulse. In May they released the newest EP a separation from vanity by Cali quartet Clay Birds on 100 tapes. Clay Birds have only been releasing music for a relatively short time, having released a demo, a split and a single in 2023, before following them in 2024 with their debut album Bled Out and Painted Blue. Also, if you're wondering why the EP title above reads differently to the title on ZBR's site; it was taken from the band's bandcamp/discogs pages and I can't confirm the correct title.

This EP sees Clay Birds making gorgeous emo/post-hardcore in the nostalgic way on opener ‘an intuition of morality’. There’s raw emotion, glorious clean singing, explosive heaviness and twinkling melodies flowing right the way through it. Opposite ends of the musical palette colliding in unison. The beautiful musicianship grows in majesty on ‘to my dearly departed’, where it’s joined again by clean singing that’s a cross between slow-core/indiemo, before bursts of both deep and higher-pitched screams add a sense of unease. 

From what seems like a fairly lengthy song, Clay Birds deliver something more visceral and urgent on ‘to sell our fire would be the ultimate defeat’. Driving and down-beat elements of screamo/hardcore are interwoven with the quartet’s beguiling melodic layers. ’Infinite regress’ is another shorter number and it reminds of music by bands like American Football and The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die at first. Slightly off-kilter yet gentle emo leads you into a false-sense of security (kind of) before a raucous mid-section comes in, fades and leaves you with a crescendo-like ending.

It’s the perfect way to usher in EP closer ‘everything, everything’, with punky rhythms that pep up the mood and self-introspection aplenty. It’s by far the artiest song on a separation from vanity too. Though I’ve tried my best to describe this release in words, I don’t think mere words can do it justice. You can only really take it in by listening and appreciating.

You can stream and purchase the EP digitally from Clay Birds here:-

ZBR tapes copies have sold out.

Clay Birds Instagram - @claybirdsband

Zegema Beach Records - https://bsky.app/profile/zegemabeachrecords.bsky.social