“Music is the best way I can truly express myself to the people I love and who are important,” Birds of Tokyo singer Ian Kenny told Apple Music in 2020. That beaming aura of sincerity runs through the Perth alt-rockers’ entire catalog, starting with their breakout 2008 anthem “Broken Bones” (key line: “It’s not about me”). Kenny had already found fame with Karnivool, a band he’s continued to front in tandem with this one, but Birds of Tokyo went truly stratospheric with 2010’s “Plans,” a deeply romantic power ballad that hit No. 4 on the year’s triple j Hottest 100 and has since gone platinum many times over. Equally affecting is 2013’s “Lanterns,” which again pairs Kenny’s poetic wordplay and grounded voice with dramatically rich textures. Some subsequent material has seen the band step away from meatier rock elements entirely, with 2015’s “Anchor” leaning into ’80s synth-pop and ’90s soft-rock motifs. Birds of Tokyo stripped back even further on 2024’s “Heartbreakers Bar,” adopting the folky approach and rousing group vocals of acts like Mumford & Sons while preparing for a hybrid acoustic/electric tour. And as Kenny repeats “This life is what we make” on that tune, it’s clear he hasn’t lost his career-long knack for distilling home truths into tidy refrains.