SINGLE REVIEW: newshapes – sick of breathing

Numbers ultimately do not mean everything, and are often vastly overemphasised when discussing the relevance of artist. Regardless, for Scottish outfit newshapes to have achieved over 26,000 monthly listeners since dropping their debut single last year, it is perhaps an undeniable fact that they are doing something correctly. Attention from promoters, publications, and radio already encompasses much of their musical resume, and with their brand new single ‘sick of breathing’, it becomes incredibly easy to understand why all of this is.

From the get-go, newshapes proudly flaunt their pop influences on this adrenaline rush of an alternative rock track. From the bright chimes of keys and the jangling guitar hook, to the danceable rhythms that hurtle by, the bittersweet vibes here wouldn’t go amiss in a The 1975 or Waterparks track. This pop bombast is channelled by the band in a way that keeps the track feeling sincere and enigmatic; it’s a familiar yet unique sound, perhaps a track that you may not only hear on the radio, but end up completely absorbed by.

This isn’t to say that all of the raw edges have been sanded down, however. An anthemic back-half maintains those soaring pop sensibilities and forcefully collides them with thunderous guitars and vocals that just barely restrain from breaking into full-blown screams. All of this is wrapped up with a gorgeous handful of closing bars consisting solely of layered vocals, hitting you with that infectious melody one last time and beckoning you to hit that repeat button.

With not only an EP releasing next year, but also a debut headline tour, newshapes feel like a band on the cusp of becoming the next alternative darlings. Their refusal to clearly adhere to genre or expectation represents some of the freshest parts of the modern alternative scene, and has them positioned at the very forefront of the next wave of upcoming artists. This band could be very big.

For Fans Of: Dayseeker, The 1975, Holding Absence, Take Breath, The Home Team

Follow the band on social media below:

Instagram // Spotify