By Evie Shields (She/her)
The Dundee-based indie pop quintet Plasmas’ first EP is filled with five dreamy, feel-good tracks.
Released on Friday, October 21, A Summer’s Day Can Break Your Heart is a promising debut project from a band with a very bright future ahead of them.
Plasma’s strong line-up consists of Ross McQueen (vocals and rhythm guitar), Conor McBay (vocals and lead guitar), Rory Strathie (synth), James Swan (bass), and Sam Walker (drums).
The opening track, ‘See It Through,’ is the ideal song for listening in the car late at night or walking with headphones. It has such a catchy chorus that it will automatically stick with you.
Each song on A Summer’s Day is a glittery nod to shoegaze and modern bands like Swim Deep and JAWS (who the band love and opened for, calling the experience “surreal”).
Track two on the EP, ‘What You Do To Me,’ is focused on the feelings of anxiety that can come along with figuring out your sexuality. On the band’s Instagram, alongside this song’s release, they said, “don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t be yourself.” Simple but so powerful, exactly what ‘What You Do To Me’ is. It is a fantastic track.
You can tell from the Plasmas’ social media that they are very proud of this body of art they have created. Produced by Guy Galactic, each song feels like a dream. The perfect indie-pop songs.
Bassist James Swan credits producer Galactic with bringing their music to life, specifically ‘Notice’ which is the first song the bass player has written for the band. This song has a very nostalgic feeling; despite its less-than-positive lyrics, it is perfect for a singalong. I feel that that is often the case with these bands; you are reminded of a simpler time, singing along with friends.
Track five, ‘Happiness’, is my favourite. It has a great melody, and the chorus makes you want to dance. What else could you want? This song really reminds me of the music of The Night Cafe and Swim Deep, two bands I absolutely love. This song is glittery and shiny; it feels like something you’d hear in a movie. The vocals feel professional, sounding undeniably great on this track in specific.
Their first released track, ‘Look & See,’ was a lockdown song; despite the band having been together several years now, they hadn’t released any music until May 2020. Listening to that and then listening to A Summer’s Day Can Break Your Heart, the band’s sound has evolved greatly. While providing an easy-happy listening experience, everything about this EP is strong, hard-hitting, and relatable. There is a song on here for everyone.
At first listen, the tracks sound similar, but personally, I do not find any issue with that. They’re each powerful in their own regard. The band just has this comfortably fuzzy and vulnerable sound that remains familiar yet opens their music up to many different listeners.
The EP talks of love, loss, friendship, anxiety, sexuality, and so much more in only five tracks. They are one to watch. They could be huge. They already have the sound of quite a huge band, despite the fact they are still ‘up and coming.’ I really believe they could be the next big Scottish band.
A Summer’s Day Can Break Your Heart EP was released by Plasmas on Friday 21 October. Check it out here: here.
