NewDad Self-Examine On New EP “Safe”
NewDad via Instagram
Irish dreamy-rock band NewDad are back with a new 4-song EP, “Safe”, their first offering since dropping their acclaimed debut album “Madra” in early 2024. The EP showcases what loyal listeners love about NewDad while also laying groundwork for where the band is going next. Though some fans were skeptical after the band announced the departure of bassist Cara Joshi in March, Safe quickly silences any apprehension about the state of the music. This is the NewDad we know and love, but slightly evolved - a short and sweet preview into whatever the future holds.
Opening track “Entertainer” could easily be placed on “Madra”, serving as the perfect springboard from the previous body of work into the next. Lyrically, singer and songwriter Julie Dawson explores the timeless idea of tearing one’s self apart for creation and the promise of potential acclaim, even to the detriment of an artist’s mental health. “Thought it won’t stop it from falling apart, running around for you…break the way that you want me to, I’ll still be your entertainer” Dawson drones woefully.
NewDad, “Safe”
Next up is title track “Safe”, a bass-driven lament for heartbreak that keeps on giving: “just when I thought it was safe, my heart finds a new way to break.” It’s a groovier track, drum heavy and uptempo, and definitely the highlight of the project.
“Puzzle” is perhaps the most interesting track of the four, an outlier even on such a short tracklist. What opens with an almost country twang quickly and explosively transforms into brooding indie rock. Opening lyrics describe the proverbial devil and angel on our shoulders, while the chorus reckons once again with toxic and self-harming people-pleaser tendencies. By now it’s apparent that the EP as a whole is some sort of reckoning with or a checking of one’s behavior and desire for approval: “I'll do what you want me to do, not sure why I need to please you when it drains my hope and steals my youth” is almost the thesis statement of the project.
“Be Kind” closes us out, gentle and sorrowful vocals over plucky guitar and heavenly strings. The track carries the thematic torch home one more time: “And I feel like a hound everytime you turn around, I follow suit to appease you.” If you didn’t get it the first time…
Even if the lyrical content gets a bit redundant - though it should be fairly noted that the types of relationships examined throughout are varied, from romantic interpersonal to the parasocial - “Safe” is still an exciting entry in the NewDad canon. Dawson’s vocals and guitar rhythms are heavenly, weaving songs between groovy rock and dreamy shoegaze. It feels like each track highlights different yet distinct components of what makes NewDad such an exciting band to watch, and gives promise for what their next full-length will bring.
