Moderate Rock

Jess Webberley is going places. Maybe even to the stars. Because, as Graywave, they have single-handedly conjured up an EP of cosmic dreampop that’s both strikingly immediate and exploding with potential. There were hints of such quality on a handful of singles released since the project began in 2019, but from the very first drum beat here it feels like Webberley has quickly moved from mission control to sitting on the goddamn launchpad, engines throttling up. Everything fits, everything clicks, everything has been brought into sharp focus. Well, at least as sharp as the shimmering, shoegazing sound allows. ‘Dreaming’ is a delicate, thoughtful opener and I only wish it made more of its killer crescendo, ‘Swallow’ centres around a simple, super effective chorus melody, and if the title track indulges in some lush but relatively listless indie ambience, ‘Like Heaven’ adds some hazy heft to the mix. It’s not a harsh sound but there’s certainly enough depth and distortion there to appeal to fans of bands like Deftones or early Foo Fighters. Now, it is more a general daydream vibe rather than any specific song that sticks in the mind after this record stops spinning, but while it plays ‘Planetary Shift’ is superb.