Musically, the EP sees newshapes expanding their palette. ‘deadweight’ draws from the pummeling alt-rock of early 2010s Beartooth, ‘the rain’ leans into the polished pop-metalcore of Bad Omens, ‘sick of breathing’ taps into the indie rock energy of The Wombats and The 1975, while ‘wax’ is steeped in the soaring post-hardcore melodies of Saosin. The result is a record that feels like a seamless blend of alt-rock, metal, and pop sensibilities—one that maintains the soul of newshapes while pushing their sound to its limits.
Lyrically, the EP’s themes are reflected not just in its words but in its very structure. The songs emerged from a period of writer’s block, with ‘sick of breathing’—the first song written—initially conceptualized around that struggle. Choruses for ‘the rain’ and ‘deadweight’ were unearthed from old demo folders, proving that even in moments of stagnation, inspiration lurks beneath the surface. ‘wax’, the EP’s closing track, turns the final moments of ‘i hope this finds you’ on its head—where that record ended on a ballad with heavy sections, ‘wax’ starts at its most ferocious before giving way to a massive rock ballad, providing an emotional and musical crescendo.
