Not long after the no-shows, Death Grips did the most unexpected thing they could: They released a new piece of music. It was an interesting form of response, because “Birds” offered no apologies; literally the first clear words we hear from Ride are “Fuck” and “you.” But rather than the usual attack people were expecting from a new album (or from the show in Bottom’s Lounge for that matter) “Birds” was a complete game changer. It’s not an easy song exactly; rather it lets us witness the band breaking down and rebuilding its sound in real time. It was a rejection of the position the band had gotten themselves into, with labels, festivals, and perhaps even fans. Most of all, though, “Birds” simply did what a good lead single should: It gave us an idea of what the new album would sound like, it got us excited, and it was fucking great.