8/10

Loser Demon make their triumphant return with 'EP2', a collection that blends raw and rough aesthetics with a progressive sheen. The four-piece have transformed their early lo-fi sound on 'EP1' into a cohesive statement that marries post-punk angularity with power-pop immediacy.

Opening up with ‘Holding Ground’, we get stuck into the group's newfound confidence. Swelling guitars and taut rhythms cradle vocals that reflect on permanence, love, and the ironies of self-sabotage. Dynamic shifts punctuate the track, signalling a band unafraid to confront both themselves and the world around them.

Moving onto ‘Rewinder’, we see them grapple with memory and missed opportunities. All while ‘Hundred Feet’ ventures into darker territory with imagery of parachutes, waiting rooms, and temporary stains evoking vulnerability and quiet desperation. Closing track 'Living in the Margins’ strips back their usual fanfare, offering one of the most intimate moments of the EP.

Throughout 'EP2', Loser Demon balance their intensity with a sly sense of awareness. The lyrics are personal yet still societal, capturing the friction between inner turmoil and external chaos this world has begun to create. By embracing their jagged edges rather than smoothing them over, Loser Demon have crafted an EP that feels urgent and distinctly their own.