A year after Velvet Trip’s 2024 debut album HARMONY BLOOMS, this EP nudges Wiradjuri artist Zeppelin Hamilton’s soft indie-psych nearer to the dance floor. That makes for a fascinating contrast as Hamilton delivers melancholic lyrics in an airy sigh over such funky, percolating arrangements. “It’s better when you’re not around,” he sings frankly on the lush opener “Superstar”, while “The Bends” describes its subject killing time and causing potential heartbreak while awaiting some form of change. The unlikely blend of disco inflections and romantic introspection can’t help but bring to mind Currents-era Tame Impala, while groups like Cut Copy and The Presets also feel like touchstones for Velvet Trip’s clubbier outings. Yet, the newfound kineticism drops away on the standout “The Here and Now”, which sees Hamilton embrace his pensive side over groggy organ and simple drum machine. It’s intimate yet still psychedelic, pointing to another fresh angle from which he can approach disillusion with a delicate touch.