8/10

Northampton’s Balter may have only just wrapped up their GCSEs, but their debut EP 'someday' already positions them as one of the UK’s most promising young indie acts. Across five tight, shimmering tracks, the band distill the chaos of adolescent emotion into a sound that’s both instantly nostalgic and strikingly self-assured.

There’s a rare clarity to 'someday' in the way it captures the rawness of teenage experience without ever feeling juvenile. Lead single 'used to be' sets the tone: all bittersweet hooks and breathless confession, as frontman Tom Drury reflects on the highs and heartbreaks of first love with a mix of earnestness and self-awareness. And it's that emotional honesty that runs like a thread through the entire release.

Balter take cues from the likes of Aztec Camera, Boy Pablo, and Mac DeMarco, but there’s a fresh energy here that’s entirely their own. The songs are short, sharp, and tightly crafted, yet each managing to pack a punch. Guitars sparkle and sway, basslines bounce with youthful swagger, and the rhythms feel built for sweaty, all-ages gigs in packed-out back rooms.

Produced by Jonathan Hucks (Hallan, Dream Nails), the EP strikes a fine balance between polish and intimacy, letting the band’s chemistry shine without sanding off the edges. Each track flows into the next with ease, creating a cohesive world that feels both suburban and cinematic; an ode to bedroom windows, late-night walks, and long drives to nowhere.

'someday' is a remarkably confident debut, equal parts joy and ache, and a promise that things are only just going to get bigger from here.