EP Review: New Dad – Waves
Waves
NewDad
Words: Gary Lambert
I’ve completely missed out on NewDad before the release of Waves EP, and I truly feel like my life must have been poorer as a result. Their arty dream pop sound is beautiful, intelligent, and as immediate as more traditional sounding pop songs. Each track on the EP is immaculately layered with tones and textures that appeal to music fans across the board.
It almost feels impossible to get my head around how perfect all of this music sounds. This is a cultivated and cultured piece of music which must have surely taken an age to craft. The Kim Deal-esque bass playing throughout the EP are the musical encapsulation of driving along the coast with your friends. It is joyful, exciting and takes you miles away from reality – unless your reality is having a party on a beach. The rhythm is simultaneously laconic and yet energising. It makes your hips and shoulders move.
On top of that NewDad grab me with gentle fuzzy guitars, softly balanced drumming and a breathtaking vocal which could be a tuneful TikTok ASMR such is the tranquillity and ethereal nature of it. However, whereas this kind of sound often becomes overly complex and tangled, NewDad have found a point where every member of their group sounds crystal clear and providing a unique element to the sound of their collective.
Each track on this EP too has a moment which makes me feel an explosion of joy and hope, but in the closing title track Waves this is taken to another level as the whole band sound kicks in at 1:16. This instant leading on from the preceding elegant minimalism is celebratory and happy. It is everything I love about music in the blink of an eye.
I would recommend Waves EP to fans of bands like Wyldest and Spinn, but also anybody who loved Dream Wife’s second album So When You Gonna… as the sound shares that same loud music played quietly vibe. This EP gets me so excited about lies ahead for NewDad. I’m definitely keeping them in my life.
