She's In Parties - Are You Dreaming? EP

The new EP from She's In Parties begins with a shimmer. 'Fallen' opens with 80s-glazed synths and shoegaze guitar textures that catch the light just enough to dazzle. It's a tone-setter for an EP that floats between nostalgia and noir: dreamy, yes, but with something darker flickering underneath.

The title-track, 'Are You Dreaming?', leans into that foreboding feel, with the ominous line "Are your hands tied down and you can't scream?" one of the EP's more sinister moments. 'Runaway' pulls things into softer, more melancholic territory, while 'Same Old Story' charges in with crunchy guitars and a dose of defiance. "What goes around comes back around," Katie Dillon sings, and you believe her.

Final track 'R.E.M' lets the band stretch into something slower and more expansive, rounding out the EP with a subtle sprawl. There's real variety across these five tracks - shifting moods, dynamics and textures - but it's all held together by a strong emotional core and an unmistakable sonic identity.

There's no fluff on 'Are You Dreaming?': every song earns its place. It's not just a continuation of what they were doing before; it's a step forward, and a confident one at that. The dream feels more vivid than ever.