Dreamy grunge-pop trio Gold Baby are surely set to make a big impact with their debut EP Rabbits. The sonic landscape of this EP transports you to a sunbed by the pool, under glorious sun with a refreshing breeze keeping you cool. A beautiful sounding EP to accompany beautiful weather. The instrumentation rings sweet through both headphones and speakers alike, a true testament to the quality of the recordings and tracks themselves. Each instrument compliments each other within the tracks, creating a full and pleasing sound of which has been the norm for the band since their first release, 2017’s Duppy. Drawing influences from the likes of Car Seat Headrest, Fugazi and Joni Mitchell; Rabbits explores vocalist Sian Alex’s personal struggles with OCD as well as American ghost towns, female identity and the medieval notion of Cockaigne—an imaginary place of extreme luxury and ease where physical comforts and pleasures are always immediately at hand. The latter is most definitely the setting for the EP’s cinematic soundscape. The first track, ‘Bodie’, opens with a huge drum sound crashing through your speakers and grabbing your attention immediately, right before wonderfully delicate guitars enter the frame. The pairing of intense and delicate is a running theme throughout and has a near perfect balance that really contributes to the dream element of the music. Almost like the tracks are lullabies you could mosh to. ‘2041’ has a staggered and more jolting intro before grooving into the bouncier feel. This song in particular takes you on a real dynamic rollercoaster from very gentle vocals to full on screams in the solo section that work as almost an extra instrument providing an extra texture and layer to lift the instrumental section that little bit further. It’s in the third track, ‘Betty’, that things start taking a turn for the weird in a very cool way indeed. The lyrics are very off kilter, especially in the first verse, that it really holds your attention as you hear Alex speak about somebody calling her Cinderella, so in return she eats the fire alarm. This song in particular grabs you as a story that little bit more as it really focuses on female identity and explores what that means to Alex. ‘Captain Dorego’ is the final track on the album and it feels as though it restores an overarching sense of peace and calm. With very playful folk inspired guitar lines, the track was the lead single off of the EP and potentially is the most balanced track of all four. To sum up, Rabbits is a long-awaited debut EP that has most certainly not disappointed in its delivery. With dynamics that range from whispers to screams in the space of a bar, it’s a cinematic journey through dreamy-grunge goodness. This is not an EP you want to miss out on. Score: 9/10 Rabbits is out now independently. Purchase the record here.