NewDad - Banshee (2022) Hi-Res

Where previous EP ‘Waves’ paired abstract emotion with languorous rolling passages of roomy indie, ‘Banshee’ sees NewDad explore drifting textures and post-punk sensibilities. Julie Dawson’s brisk and heady delivery tamps each track with a soft layer of velvet. Relatable, and minimalistic, every word is talk-sung with intention, and hides an untold story behind its gossamer veil. You can feel the imprint of Pixies on ‘Say It’, with its restless pace and hushed phrasing, bubbling into a quick paced, nearly-frantic anthem. “I’ve been fucking up, messing around, I wanna feel right, but it’s too late now,” she utters delicately on ‘Spring’, a track that beams and glows with sprightly energy before settling in a lyrical lament of the reality of loneliness.‘Thinking Too Much’ is the standout, spiralling into an airy arpeggio-filled fury and subsequently crashing back down to earth with spirited hi-hat taps and a buoyant bass rhythm. ‘Banshee’ feels like an inevitable ascension of a band who are so acutely aware of their own gifts, it’s impossible to not be drawn in.