Kevin Bronson on August 9th, 2019

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New L.A. quartet Kills Birds make visceral indie-rock, the kind that fairly explodes with the urgency of its messages, like a boxer landing combination punches. Comparisons to PJ Harvey are not for nothing. Nor is the seal of approval the band recently got from Kim Gordon, who called their first single “hot as f*ck.”

At the fore is vocalist Nina Ljeti, a Bosnia-born musician and filmmaker (2015’s “Memoria,” starring James Franco, among others) who as a child emigrated to Canada with her family to escape the war. In L.A. in 2017, she began working in secret with guitarist Jacob Loeb (Golden Daze). Bassist Fielder Thomas and drummer Bosh Rothman eventually signed on, and from their first live shows they already were turning heads. Producer Justin Raisen has signed the band to his fledgling label KRO Records — he produced their album, a self-titled affair that will be released Sept. 20, virtually live over the course of an eight-hour session.

Ljeti doesn’t so much sing as viciously narrate; over a hot bed of post-punk primitivism, she opens lyrical veins that are ripe with imagery and raw emotion. On the paroxysmal “Worthy Girl,” you don’t know whether to listen intently or duck-and-cover.

“The album is very personal … Each song is reflective of what I struggled with, and continue to struggle with, Ljeti says. “Feelings of insecurity, anxiety, inadequacy, and ultimately love. Love is the main driving force behind everything I create.

“The instrumentation helps clarify those feelings,” she continues. “When Jacob and I write, Jacob is able to understand what I’m feeling, and he uses the instrumentation to elevate the piece to a whole new level. He honors the words and challenges me to find the best method of expression. His contribution is brave — he works without ego to benefit the emotion of the song. Same goes with Fielder and Bosh. Completing the puzzle. We are all emotional beings. And we struggle with what everyone struggles with. Our ultimate goal is to stay true to that, no matter what. We play together because we crave honesty, and we want to do justice to love in all its forms.”

Kills Birds’ videos hark to the days when music like this was underground — the band is the focus, letting you in on their secret. Fans of the Breeders, Kristin Hersh’s 50 Foot Wave and early Cat Power should sample below, and in the video for the new single “Jesus Did,” make friends with Doc and Spanky the goats.

||| Watch: The videos for “Worthy Girl” and “Jesus Did”

||| Also: Stream “Worthy Girl” and “Ow”

||| Live: Kills Birds play Echo Park Rising on Friday, Aug. 16 (9:30 p.m., Echoplex). They celebrate their album release with a show Sept. 19 at the Bootleg Theater (tickets). And they also perform at Desert Daze, Oct. 10-13, at Moreno Beach at Lake Perris.