The London-based (but Galway-hearted) band NewDad are back at it — and like all good comebacks, it arrives wrapped in fresh tunes, a bit of lineup reshuffling, and a healthy dose of creative evolution. It’s their first release since their critically-praised debut album Madra (yes, that Madra — the one that had indie kids wistfully gazing at their Doc Martens) and also the first since bassist Cara Joshi bid farewell to the group, presumably to chase other musical adventures or perhaps just to finally get some sleep.

But the drama doesn’t stop there. Since we last heard from them as a full unit, singer Julie Dawson has been keeping busy with her solo escapades — namely, dropping her own album Bottom Of The Pool, produced by electronic wizard Space Dimension Controller (whose name alone suggests he’s been commuting from an alternate galaxy to produce some interstellar beats).

Now, NewDad returns with a four-track EP that injects a sharper edge into their trademark dreamy, shoegaze-tinged alt-rock. Think: all the fuzzy reverb you love, but with a shot of espresso. Steering the production ship is the multi-talented 26-year-old Sam Breathwick, better known as Shrink, who not only produced the record but has officially joined the band for live shows, wielding both lead guitar and synths like a man on a mission.

Guitarist Sean O’Dowd sums it up best: these songs are “big and bold, but with a light sense and kind of airier.” Translation: your head will be nodding, but your feet might just levitate.

Recorded back in January at the esteemed Decoy Studios (a spot known for turning good bands into great ones), the EP captures that heady cocktail of intensity and laser focus — all wrapped up in a whirlwind recording session that probably left everyone wondering what day of the week it was.

Leading the charge is ‘Entertainer’, the EP’s flagship single. “The song is about entertaining other people’s idea of who you should be,” Julie explains. “I’m only learning now that I just need to shut out the noise and do what makes me feel comfortable.” A sentiment that’ll resonate with anyone who’s ever had an unsolicited life coach in the form of an overenthusiastic relative.

That same ethos seeps into the rest of the EP like a slow-burning fuse. The title track erupts into a fierce, cathartic finale; ‘Puzzle’—Fiachra’s personal favourite—staggers woozily into a seasick grunge waltz, its lyrics pulling inspiration from Norman Mailer’s The Executioner’s Song (because nothing says alt-rock like literary references and existential dread). And then there’s ‘Be Kind’, where an achingly beautiful string arrangement swoops in — a touch Sean admits they’d have previously faked with a synth, but this time they went full authenticity mode. Real strings. Real feels.

Oh, and if you’re wondering whether this is just a one-off morsel to tide fans over: think again. NewDad are already deep into work on album number two. “The album will be another step up,” Julie promises. “It’s a lot more unapologetic and a lot more self-assured.”

In other words: if Madra was the band’s dreamy first chapter, and this EP is their bold next paragraph, album two is shaping up to be the all-caps, underlined statement.

• Be Kind
• Entertainer
• Safe
• Puzzle

Lyrics_

[Verse 1]
Try sinkin' my teeth
Whenever you’re around
You hold your fruit at reach
I'll bite if I'm allowed
Hold your knife to me
I'm falling on it now
Falling on it now
Falling on it now

[Chorus]
Though I won't stop it
From falling apart
Keep running around for you
Knees on the floor
Bend a little bit more
Break the way that you want me to
I'll still be your
Entertainer
Entertainer

[Verse 2]
I'll forget your sins
Won't say them out loud
Can't forget your grin
Search for it in a crowd
Your sunlight burns my skin
But I'm basking in it now
I'm basking in it now
I'm basking in it now

[Chorus]
Though I won't stop it
From falling apart
Keep running around for you
Knees on the floor
Bend a little bit more
Break the way that you want me to
I'll still be your entertainer
I'll still be your entertainer

Passport_

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