Seth Glier's new album Birds is steeped in conflict and contradictions. There's grief and loss, but also strength and resilience; doubt and dismay, but also a sense of optimism as Glier confronts heavy topics and wrestles them into the daylight. Birds is Glier's fifth album, and the latest entry in a burgeoning career that has included a Grammy nomination and a pair of Independent Music Awards while touring with artists including Ani DiFranco, Ronnie Spector and Ryan Adams. The songs on this latest album range from personal to political, and are bound together by the awareness that our world is a fragile place that is all the more magical for it. It began taking shape after Glier lost his brother, Jamie, who died in October 2015, and inspired a TED Talk performance that Glier gave in 2016. "My brother passing away was a huge component of where I was and what I was looking for," Glier says. "In particular, I was looking for meanings, wanting his life to mean more than just being over." After embracing his pop side on If I Could Change One Thing, Glier made Birds without concern for the benchmarks of pop success and all the attendant distractions. "I wanted something that was going to feel singular, and even if no one hears this, I'm still really proud of it," he says.

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