Since 2021, She’s In Parties have been delivering pinpoint drops of shoegaze leaning indie. Every now and again, hints of electro pop would appear, most notably on the excellent Summer Haze. Now, with the help of legendary producer Stephen Street (Blur, The Smiths and countless others) they have allowed their love of alternative ’80s synth pop to unfurl fully.

The opening keyboard motif of Puppet Show heralds this new dawn as the Essex quartet, fronted by Irish singer Katie Dillon, explore a soundscape with a spacious Talk Talk-esque sheen. Inspired by a dream in which her teeth all fell out, the track sees Dillon railing against the dance monkey dance aspects of the music industry that forces musicians to smile and pretend everything is wonderful 24/7 on social media.

The driving, Billy Idol-tinged The Man showcases She’s in Parties’ ability to create pristine, radio-ready melodies and sees Dillon further pursuing the negative psychological aspects of social media on wider society. “We’re all taking sides, but the problem is the man”, she concludes, as she weighs up who the real winners are when society is force-fed lies via our phones.

The existential dread of the present looms large over the EP but it is offset somewhat by the nostalgic melodies. Guitarist Herbie Wiseman acquits himself with aplomb throughout, releasing the tension with some showstopping moments including the solo on Ballad of The Broken Nebula before the EP closes out in a moment of catharsis with the band singing a “La La La” refrain in unison.

Continuing the happy/sad indie songwriting tradition, Puppet Show is a portrait of a band morphing into their best selves, inviting us to join them in dancing away the pain away. And we’d be fools not to oblige.