Pets Sounds brings together 15 indiepop acts exploring life with animals, from affectionate portraits to sly metaphor. The set moves easily between humour and melancholy: Sassyhiya and Gay Skeleton Club keep things light, while Caleb Nichols and Jetstream Pony lean more introspective, and The Magnetic Fields and Brian Bilston and The Catenary Wires add a satirical edge. Across the album, pets become companions, symbols and unknowable presences. Tugboat Captain’s Rufus captures pure devotion, while Swansea Sound’s I Don’t Like Men In Uniform uses a cantankerous terrier to reflect on ageing masculinity. Elsewhere, The Burning Hell and The Cords turn their focus outward, contrasting our tenderness towards animals with human behaviour. With previously unreleased tracks from Brian Bilston and The Catenary Wires, Jetstream Pony and Railcard, Pets Sounds is a varied, often witty collection that finds both joy and ambiguity in our relationships with animals.