7/10

London duo Just Kids continue to make waves with 'saccharine', their debut EP that’s equal parts confessional and cathartic, where swirling distortion meets the sting of growing pains. Across seven tracks, the band weave together sugar-rush nostalgia and late-night introspection, setting fire to the idea that youth is all sunshine and stability.

Lead single 'best friend' stands out as a quiet gut-punch. Against a backdrop of hazy guitars and subtle melancholia, singer Rachel Still’s lyrics reflect on the peculiar intimacy of knowing someone deeply, only to one day realise how much of each other’s lives you’ve missed. It’s that aching realisation that friendships don’t end with explosions, but with a slow drift into parallel lives.

There’s a worn-in charm to the band’s sound: scrappy but precise, melodic but never saccharine in the pejorative sense. You can hear the fingerprints of early ‘90s alt-rock, but it’s filtered through a distinctly modern lens. Self-produced by Still and mastered by Abbey Road’s Cicely Balston, the record holds its rough edges close, favouring emotional truth over polished perfection.

From their DIY roots to a growing list of critical nods, Just Kids are carving out space on their own terms. 'saccharine' doesn’t try to sugarcoat anything. Instead it leans into the sweetness and the sting of memory, and dares to call it beautiful.