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"So much for the sophomore slump."

That's how producer Luke McNeill summed up AVEM, the new self-titled album from the bird-loving pop-punk outfit. At just under 30 minutes, the record is the band's heaviest release yet, expanding on their trademark four-chord sound while diving into themes of love, loss, addiction, environmental destruction, and despair. Don't worry though, every song is still about birds.

The album kicks off with "Heart Upside Down," a fast-paced love song told from the perspective of a nuthatch, a bird known for spending much of its time moving upside down along tree branches. "Another Trumpet Flower Please My Good Sir" takes on the helplessness of watching someone struggle with alcoholism, while "One Lonely Dove" delivers one of the record's most emotional moments as it follows a young dove coming to terms with mortality.

One of the biggest surprises on the album is "Soupe Ortolan," a '90s-inspired skate punk track sung entirely in French. The song tells the story of the now-illegal practice of preparing Ortolan Buntings for consumption by force-feeding the birds before drowning them in brandy. According to tradition, diners would cover their heads with a cloth while eating the dish, supposedly so "God would not see them sinning."

As with previous releases, AVEM continues to mix catchy pop punk with ornithology, with songs that also spotlight shrikes, American kestrels, and black-capped chickadees.

AVEM will support the release with a performance at Punk Rock Raduno in Bergamo, Italy, on July 18, 2026.