We are here with your must-listen for 2026. Here in the Bardos is an album trying to make sense of death and the ghosts of adolescence. Its songs trace young lovers around old streets, and their medium-sized beliefs.
After a long period of quiet, the Dublin-originated outfit Autumn Owls returns IN A BIG WAY with Here in the Bardos (released March 1, 2026). If their earlier work was characterized by “cold,” architectural indie rock, this new record feels like a ghost story told in the warm light of a late-afternoon sun.
The title itself—referencing the “Bardo,” the Tibetan state between death and rebirth—perfectly encapsulates the album’s themes of transition, memory, and the “ghosts of adolescence.”
After a long period of quiet, the Dublin-originated outfit Autumn Owls returns with Here in the Bardos (released March 1, 2026). If their earlier work was characterized by “cold,” architectural indie rock, this new record feels like a ghost story told in the warm light of a late-afternoon sun.
The title itself—referencing the “Bardo,” the Tibetan state between death and rebirth—perfectly encapsulates the album’s themes of transition, memory, and the “ghosts of adolescence.”
The Evolution of Their Sound
While the band’s signature angularity remains, Here in the Bardos is undeniably their most direct and accessible record to date. The sparse, clinical production of their 2012 debut, Between Buildings, Toward the Sea, has evolved into something richer and more atmospheric.
The songs were largely born from songwriter Gary McFarlane’s return to “Insomnia Lodge”—the converted shed where the band first formed—during a year-long stay in Dublin. That sense of returning to one’s roots while being changed by the world (McFarlane spent the intervening years in China, Thailand, and France) permeates every track.
Thick as Thieves
“Thick as Thieves” is a compelling track for the Dublin-based outfit and it’s clear they have mastered the art of “cold,” atmospheric indie rock. After a significant hiatus since their acclaimed 2012 debut Between Buildings, Toward the Sea, this single (released in late January 2026) reaffirms why they were once the darlings of the Irish post-rock and indie scenes.
The Sound
True to the band’s established DNA, “Thick as Thieves” is built on a foundation of angular, slightly dissonant guitar work and stuttering, syncopated drum patterns. It carries the “Radiohead-meets-Interpol” spirit they were known for, but there is a newfound maturity in the space between the notes. The track manages to feel both clinical and deeply emotive, featuring reverb-drenched vocals that float over a sparse but tense production.
“Thick as Thieves” is less of a reinvention and more of a refinement. It captures the “apocalyptic art-band” energy that first earned them critical acclaim while proving that their ability to craft complex, genre-blurring music hasn’t dulled with time.
The band states:
“Autumn Owls’ new album was sparked by an unplanned yearlong stay in Dublin during the Covid-19 pandemic. After several years living abroad, songwriter Gary McFarlane found himself back at Insomnia Lodge — the converted shed behind his family home where Autumn Owls first began.
During this period, McFarlane revisited and completed a previously abandoned album, Three Winters in the Capital, released in 2021. Invigorated by the experience, he began writing new songs for the first time in almost a decade. When borders reopened, early sketches continued to evolve, travelling with him across new homes in China, Thailand, and later France.
Those songs would eventually become the new album. Musically, it marks a clear break from earlier Autumn Owls releases. It is the project’s most direct record to date, pairing immediacy with lyrics rooted in memory, early attachment, and loss.”
You can download the album here or follow them on Soundcloud.