Banshee is the latest EP by Galway’s NewDad. Released via Fair Youth Records, Banshee picks up where 2021’s highly successful EP Waves left off. Brimful of dreamy indie rock, the EP proves that NewDad are worthy of the hype.
NewDad have experienced a meteoric rise since the release of their first single ‘How’ in 2020. They’ve toured Ireland and the UK, played a live session for Steve Lamacq, and garnered praise across the globe. So, not a bad two years.
Volume up
Banshee is a livelier EP that its predecessor Waves. While its sound is that little bit darker, the five tracks still contain an indie-pop element that dares you to dance.
The EP begins with the previously released single ‘Say It’. Super poppy in sound, lead singer Julie Dawson recounts a tale of unrequited love from a person who is the “…only want to talk when you’re alone or when no one else is home” type. ‘Say It’ is a catchy one, primed for radio success.
‘Banshee’ follows with a delicious bass line and thought-provoking lyrics. Phoebe Bridgers springs to mind on this melancholic track as we meet a struggling character who, as Dawson put it in an interview, has “…become a shell of themselves, like a ghost, or a banshee, more specifically.”
‘Spring’, the EP’s hidden gem, explores modern-day anxiety and hints toward the repetitive nature of our lives over the past two years and the impact such drastic, immediate change can have.
“My head feels heavy
My heart stood steady
There’s a cloud above my head
So I’ll hide under the covers and stay here til I’m dead”
The fourth track, ‘Thinking Too Much’, has the greatest variety on the EP in terms of song progression. It dips into a sound, a sense of broken thought, that aids the story, emphasising the ponderous lyrics towards the end.
Banshee closes out with the first single released, ‘Ladybird’. Inspired by the Saoirse Ronan film Lady Bird, the song explores longing, loneliness, and the frustrations of having no control over a situation. In contrast to the lyrics, ‘Ladybird’ is a pretty radio-friendly song sound-wise, led by melodic, hearty guitar.
Exciting times for NewDad
At the end of Banshee, you may very well hit repeat. As an EP released on a wave of much fan furore, NewDad show no signs of letting expectation affect their creativity.
And with two successful EPs to their name, gigs back underway, and time on their hands, we’ve plenty of reasons to get excited.
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Photo credit: NewDad Bandcamp
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