No Windows - The Great Traitor EP

No Windows' new EP captures both the thrill of discovery and the bittersweet ache of memories you can't quite place. 'The Great Traitor' marks a dramatic evolution for the Edinburgh duo, trading bedroom recording intimacy for the expansive possibilities of a proper studio – though thankfully without losing their knack for making even the grandest moments feel like secrets shared between friends.

The transformation is immediately apparent on opener 'Brown Bear', where Morgan Morris's multi-instrumental arrangements bloom like time-lapse footage of spring flowers, while Verity Slangen's lyrics navigate the tricky waters of growing up. When they deliver the line "You could have said 'I love you', I'm glad you didn't," it lands with the perfect mix of wisdom and wit.

Lead single 'Return' might be their most accomplished work yet, building from moody, weather-worn guitars to merge the pastoral warmth of The Clientele with the raw emotional punch of early Smashing Pumpkins. Slangen's deeply personal narrative about navigating school life while processing her autism diagnosis hits with devastating accuracy.

Producer Ali Chant - who's previously worked his magic with Dry Cleaning and Yard Act - proves to be the perfect collaborator, helping the band expand their palette without smoothing away their essential character. 'Tricky' and 'Sugarcoat' - the disarming directness of which ("I'm feeling shit") hits harder for its simplicity - showcase this balance perfectly, with arrangements full of baroque pop majesty.

With 'The Great Traitor', every influence – from Leonard Cohen to Jon Brion's film scores – has been absorbed and transformed into something uniquely personal. Morris and Slangen, barely out of their teens, display the kind of musical maturity that can't be taught, only discovered through artistic curiosity.