There’s a certain thrill in hearing a band begin to push beyond the sound that first brought them together, and on 'Mirrors', Brooklyn quartet Sorry Darling seem ready to test the limits of their own identity. Across three tracks, the band explore the messier corners of relationships, pairing sharp-edged guitars with melodies that linger long after the songs have ended.
Best known for their knack for jangly, hook-laden indie rock, Sorry Darling take a darker turn here, trading some of that breezy charm for a sound with more weight and atmosphere. The shift is particularly striking on ‘Only Sky’, where brooding guitar and bass lines set a tense, post-punk-leaning mood before opening out into a soaring vocal performance. It’s a track that balances introspection with a bigger, more expansive rock sensibility, suggesting a band increasingly comfortable with letting their songs take up space.
At the centre of it all is Liz Wagner Biro, whose velvety, plaintive vocals bring a lived-in quality to the material. There’s an emotional directness to her delivery that prevents the heavier moments from feeling overly polished, keeping the songs grounded even as the arrangements grow bolder. The guitars remain central to Sorry Darling’s appeal, but there’s a greater sense of tension at play, giving the hooks a little more bite.
The title 'Mirrors' hints at reflection, misinterpretation and the complicated business of seeing ourselves through someone else’s eyes. That idea gives the EP an underlying sense of unease, fitting neatly with the band’s evolving musical palette. Rather than abandoning the melodic instincts that have defined their earlier work, Sorry Darling appear to be stretching them into something more forceful. The result sits comfortably between alternative rock and power pop, with enough grit to stop the sweetness becoming predictable.
As a three-track release, Mirrors feels more like a snapshot of a band in motion than a definitive statement, but that is part of its appeal. There’s a sense of discovery running through the collection, as though Sorry Darling are working out what happens when four individual musical perspectives meet in the same room. The songs retain their immediacy while hinting at a broader, darker direction still taking shape.
With Mirrors, Sorry Darling offer a promising glimpse of what comes next. It’s a confident step away from familiar territory without losing sight of the big choruses and emotional honesty that make the band compelling in the first place. If this is the sound they’re moving towards, there’s plenty of reason to keep listening.
Stream the collection below
