There’s some laudable songcraft to be found on the new single from the Oakland-based band Mildred. “Bird Laugh” calls to mind classic Buffalo Tom, back when that group was dependably dispatching plainly perfect, deeply earthy rock songs to college radio. Mildred takes a rotating approach with their songwriting and lead vocal duties, and it’s Jack Schrott who’s out in front this time. His lyrics are fearlessly complex and he travels a familiar emotional landscape of feeling stuck: “Trees pass in perfect parallax/ Something’s pinned steady up against the past/ I’ve been with music in my ears/ Ominous turning, climbing the years.” Listen to this cut late at night and it might feel like the secrets of the universe are opening up and revealing themselves. It’s that pure and good.

The new single can be purchased at their bandcamp site.