Phoenix-based Badlands. are set to release their debut EP on Friday, but we’re excited to give you a first look at the whole collection.

I Replay That Moment All The Time is a quintessential sonic introduction for the new group. It hearkens the origin of the project when frontman and primary songwriter Ernest Brockman’s then 4-day-old son was hospitalized. Each track plays into different snapshots of the past year, with an overarching theme of love and adult life balanced between blazing electric guitars and gang vocals contrasting with felted piano and, at times, incredibly delicate vocal performance. The EP proves to be just as dynamic as innocent as a newborn navigating the world with awe and wonder.

The 5-track pack maintains high energy throughout the first three songs, opening with the flagship singles we’ve covered previously. “A Reintroduction” tells of Brockman’s yearning for sobriety in the midst of becoming a father, while “I Think I Want You (All The Time)” is almost as standard as upbeat pop love songs come. “How to let go” poses the question “How do I let her in? How do I let love win?” while Brockman revisits his upbringing and the clunky growing pains of getting older in the verses. It’s not unlike the alternative anthem “Ocean Avenue” in some respect, though it ends with more stability and assurance for what’s ahead.

“Addicted”, a track originally released under a previous project, slows the EP down into a sultry, reverb-drenched ballad with chorusy guitars reminiscent of everyone’s favorite mid-2010s bands.

The EP closes on “You can put it on me”, a track which breaks lyrical convention with its predecessors. There’s a little self-deprecation to match the close-miked, intimate vocal and piano performance. “…you thought that I should be more like someone else, but you can put it on me when it feels too heavy” sums up the track and the highs and lows of being in love with someone.

Despite this being a new project, Brockman has been on my radar for years and continues to surprise me with his creative shifts. From the first time I heard “A Reintroduction”, I knew I was sold. Check out the full EP below and be sure to give Badlands. a follow! Merch and tour dates are available on https://itsbadlandsbaby.com/