7/10

There is a particular kind of melancholy that only seems to emerge from long periods of silence, and that atmosphere hangs heavily over 'Not Over', the new EP from By Million Wires, a release shaped as much by absence as by arrival.

Across its five tracks, the EP drifts through themes of uncertainty, identity and emotional survival with a cinematic sense of scale. The band work with atmosphere as carefully as they do melody, building songs from hypnotic guitar repetitions, lingering delays and slow-burning crescendos that never feel forced. There are shades of Riverside in the emotional density of the arrangements, while flashes of early Coldplay and Death Cab for Cutie emerge in the balance between intimacy and widescreen ambition.

Opening track 'Over' immediately establishes the EP’s emotional landscape. There is a feeling of distance running through the song, as though the band are slowly relearning how to speak through music after years spent in silence. The guitars shimmer, creating a dreamlike pull that feels both comforting and uneasy at the same time.

'Glass Houses' deepens that mood further. Fragile and bruised, it unfolds carefully before eventually collapsing into distorted release. The track captures the EP’s fascination with the idea that even the safest spaces can suddenly fracture under pressure.

At the centre of the EP sits 'I Know Better', arguably the release's defining moment. Moving in a subtle triple-meter rhythm, the song carries a restless emotional momentum that mirrors its lyrical themes of resisting outside expectations and carving out your own direction. The warm guitar textures and understated vocal delivery make the track feel deeply human, while the gradual swell of distortion underneath suggests an internal struggle threatening to boil over.

'Lost or Won' introduces one of the EP’s most emotionally ambiguous moments. There is a quiet tension throughout the arrangement, as though the song itself cannot decide whether it is mourning defeat or accepting survival. And that uncertainty becomes strangely moving, as By Million Wires understand that emotional complexity rarely arrives with neat conclusions.

Closing track 'Runaway' feels like disappearing into fog. The cinematic textures remain, but there is also a subtle sense of release woven through the song’s drifting atmosphere. After an EP so preoccupied with emotional weight and unresolved tension, its final moments feel quietly liberating.

But what makes 'Not Over' so compelling is its refusal to chase immediacy. These are songs that unfold slowly, rewarding patience and repeated listening as they go. Here, By Million Wires create immersive, emotionally detailed music that trusts atmosphere and honesty to leave a lasting mark.

For a comeback shaped by fourteen years of silence, 'Not Over' sounds remarkably assured. Not like a band trying to reclaim lost time, but like artists finally ready to say exactly what they needed to say.