REVIEW

Kyoto-based rock band nim return with their third EP, an ambitious release that clearly leans into a crossover between emo and shoegaze.

The most striking shift appears on track #2 “Mushy”. Its soft, reverb-drenched soundscape and beautifully balanced male–female twin vocals carry a pure shoegaze lineage.

Tracks #3 “Will be gray,” and #4 “Alchemista,” are also standouts, slowly weaving melancholy through post-rock-informed arrangements. On “Alchemista,” guitarist/vocalist Hisana delivers Japanese vocals that feel refreshingly fragile—evoking a more ephemeral take on Tomoko Kawase of the brilliant green.

Hisana also operates a solo project, appi, which explores dream pop and shoegaze territory and is well worth checking out. Interestingly, while nim moves closer to shoegaze here, appi shifts in the opposite direction—evolving from a heavier, more melancholic previous release toward a softer sound reminiscent of beabadoobee.

It may even be a conscious rebalancing between the two projects, which only adds another layer of intrigue to nim’s current evolution.