The Silhouette Era Let Their Hearts Lead the Way on New EP (premiere)

The Silhouette Era are a band that believe in the redemptive power of love.They also know that to get there you often to challenge yourself to do things that don’t always come naturally. Featuring five songs that celebrate the joy, the anxiety and the unpredictability of embryonic romance, their new, self-titled EP is their first material since 2015’s Beacons , and it’s a hook-filled blast of summery indie rock.

Opener “Waste Me” rushes to discharge all of its pent-up energy. Steered by a blazing lead guitar line that J Mascis himself would be proud of, the song builds to a suitably anthemic ’90s slacker chorus that honours the youthful buzz of being irresponsible and impetuous. The equally kinetic, “Bad Reputation”, builds to the kind of unifying chorus that will simultaneously bond ever-growing crowds of strangers. It’s part romantic ode to the power of love and part cautionary reminder to stop finding excuses and get on with it. (“Let’s stop avoiding eyes and find ourselves”).

Featuring shimmering guitars, “Palms” is a perfect indie summer anthem about the steadily blooming possibilities of a fledgling summer romance. Recalling bands like Wavves, Local Natives, and Beach Fossils, the song soon reveals an underlying neurosis as singer Carlos J Gonzalez struggles to leave his heart unguarded – susceptible to the precariousness of a nascent romance.

The waltzing “Riptide” thrillingly comes apart at the seems as the blissed-out mood is replaced by distorted guitars and a stalking guitar solo, echoing the songs central theme of the unpredictability of relationships. The kind of relationship where you hope the pieces now fit, and that the knots formed by past relationships can be untangled. (“please let this time be so different”). Closer “Jaded Summer” is a sun-drenched, bittersweet acknowledgment that love can be flawed.

The Silhouette Era EP is a shot of summer sunshine when you need it most with the kind of songs that haul you off your feet, tell you to stop moping and get on with living and loving.