Before Daylight, the new five song EP from A Farewell Device, doesn’t settle into any one identity and that’s part of what keeps it engaging. The opener “Help to Lie” lands somewhere between 90s alt radio and bittersweet pop; the melodies feel immediately familiar, almost Goo Goo Dolls level accessible, but the production has enough rough edges to avoid slipping into nostalgia. “Jesters and Spies” follows that trajectory but pushes things into more dramatic territory, building tension with cinematic string swells that feel unexpectedly ambitious this early in the tracklist.
Then the EP pivots. “51A” is a straight shot of pop punk energy, and even though it shifts the tone, it still feels connected by the melodic sensibility that runs through the whole record. “Jealous of the Ghosts” pulls things back, leaning into a slow burn atmosphere and a more introspective vocal delivery. There’s a little bit of Red House Painters melancholy in the air and it might be the strongest performance on the record. “Did I Do That?” brings things to a close with another stylistic shift, adding a second vocalist and a very effective fiddle part. It’s upbeat, unexpectedly fun, and arguably the EP’s most fully realized moment.
Before Daylight is a bit uneven in terms of continuity, but the songwriting is consistently solid and the stylistic risks mostly pay off. It sounds like an artist still figuring out the outer boundaries of their sound, which honestly is part of the appeal. There’s plenty here worth revisiting and I’m curious to see where they go next.