Toronto’s Birds of Bellwoods had humble beginnings as a pre-covid indie pop rock band, releasing their 2015 debut album, The Fifth, to critical acclaim. Their sophomore album, Everything You Want, has been years in the making and continues the band’s success story.

A mammoth-sounding album produced by two-time Grammy Award-winner, Dave Schiffman (Vampire Weekend, Haim, PUP), this arena-ready indie rock outfit are positioned to be the next Arkells—Canada’s bonafide rockstars for the last decade. The band has actually opened for the Arkells a few times, but with this 10-track collection of polished pop-rock taking over the Canadian streaming market this summer, the roles may be switched sooner than you think.

Birds of Bellwoods have an infectious sound that combines the pop punk pep of PUP with the groovy indie rock hooks of the New Pornographers, and the synthy keyboards of Glass Animals. They shine with traditional indie pop love songs, like “Played,” but at its heart, Everything You Want is an angsty celebration of youthful anthems that work through the anxieties of everyday life, such as “One by One,” predicting a stock market crash, or “Figure it Out,” which celebrates the fragility of youth. 

As the band continues to spread their wings, only time will tell just how much of a mark they will make on the Canadian music scene as a whole but right now we are definitely enjoying watching them soar.