REVIEWS | New Music Discoveries: Indie-Pop & Post-Punk Highlights with Quarter Short, Versaints & More
- SHOWGRAPHERS
- Dec 16, 2025
- 4 min read
In this edition of indie and alt-pop music reviews, we highlight the most compelling new music discoveries of the season. Brisbane’s Quarter Short delivers tender introspection on "No Sense", while Ava Carmont transforms grief into shimmering indie-pop on "M.I.A.". VERSAINTS unleash chaotic post-punk energy on "BLOODY RAW", Sophie Penman reflects on memories with intimate indie-folk on "Albert Street", and Freya Magee stakes her claim with a wry, jangly indie-pop anthem on "Over There". Strutter’s neon-lit alt-rock "Modern Life" hypnotizes with 80s-infused tension, Antoin Gibson offers a cinematic, genre-defying dark pop meditation on "Dead End", and The Martyr fuses hardstyle, metal, and emo into electrifying chaos on "Star 67". These tracks showcase the freshest voices in new music discoveries, offering emotion, energy, and unforgettable melodies.
Quarter Short – “No Sense”
Brisbane’s Quarter Short delivers "No Sense", a tender, introspective EP that unpacks the quiet unraveling of relationships with emotional precision. Lead track "Feel The Answer" balances plaintive alt-pop melodies with spacious harmonies and subtle 90s alt-rock textures, evoking the honesty of Hayley Williams and Regina Spektor. Eloise McElroy’s reflective vocals guide every twist and pause, capturing tension, awkward silences, and the yearning for closure. It’s a debut that feels both personal and universally relatable, quietly powerful in its emotional resonance.
“A tender, introspective debut that turns quiet relationship tensions into alt-pop gold.”
AVA CARMONT – “M.I.A. (missing in action)”
Ava Carmont transforms grief and absence into "M.I.A.", a shimmering indie-pop track that lingers in the empty spaces left by someone fading from your life. Vulnerable vocals drift over atmospheric, cinematic production, shifting between confession and confrontation with a natural ease. The track captures heartbreak with an artful balance of fragility and intensity, marking Carmont as a rising voice capable of turning personal pain into unforgettable music.
“Heartbreak rendered cinematic — a shimmering indie-pop confession that stays with you long after it ends.”
VERSAINTS – "BLOODY RAW (Live from Brighton)"
West Midlands trio VERSAINTS unleash the chaos of their live shows with "BLOODY RAW", a visceral EP brimming with grit, energy, and unfiltered emotion. Tracks like "PICTURE" and "STREETS IS DEAD" slam with post-punk intensity, 90s grunge textures, and addictive, pounding drums. Messy, loud, and unrelenting, the EP channels the energy of IDLES, Nirvana, and The Clash crashing through a punk-fueled amplifier. "BLOODY RAW" captures a band built for stage mayhem, leaving listeners breathless and eager for more.
“A raw, live snapshot of a band built for chaos, energy, and pure stage electricity.”
Sophie Penman – “Albert Street”
Sophie Penman returns with "Albert Street", a reflective indie-folk single that captures the quiet magic of Edinburgh streets and memories revisited. Rooted in piano, guitar, and warm harmonies, the track balances introspection with melodic accessibility, revealing Penman at her most assured. It’s intimate, wistful, and effortlessly relatable—a gentle reminder that beauty often hides in the familiar places we call home.
“A wistful, intimate indie-folk gem that makes memories feel alive again.”
FREYA MAGEE – “Over There”
Freya Magee stakes her claim as one of London’s sharpest indie voices with "Over There", a wry, jangly ode to self-protection and solitary freedom. Swapping the dreamy textures of her earlier work for crisp guitars, playful percussion, and full-band energy, the track balances stubborn independence with subtle glimpses of vulnerability. Precision lyricism meets sonic curiosity in a way that’s reminiscent of Phoebe Bridgers and Maggie Rogers, carving intimate, self-contained worlds that linger long after the last note.
“A quietly defiant indie-pop anthem — sharp, playful, and impossible to forget.”
STRUTTER – “Modern Life”
Strutter’s “Modern Life” is a neon-lit fever dream—equal parts 80s nostalgia, creeping horror tension, and alt-rock grit. The track opens with an eerie shimmer before breaking into a full-bodied groove, carrying smoky vocals and shape-shifting guitars through a world that feels increasingly unhinged. What makes it stand out is its atmosphere: it’s not just a song, but a whole mood for anyone overwhelmed by the noise and pace of the present. Strutter translate that overstimulation into something hypnotic, haunted, and strangely comforting.
“A hypnotic, neon-soaked anthem for anyone feeling out of sync with the chaos of modern life.”
Antoin Gibson – “Dead End”
Antoin Gibson closes out 2025 with "Dead End", a stark, piano-led single born from autistic burnout and creative collapse. Deliberately unresolved and stripped back, the track eschews pop conventions in favor of fractured phrasing, spacious arrangements, and raw vulnerability. Sitting at the crossroads of dark pop, art pop, and avant-garde experimentation, "Dead End" demands focus, offering a cinematic glimpse into Gibson’s intensely personal, genre-defying world.
“A stark, genre-defying dark pop meditation that turns vulnerability into art.”
THE MARTYR – "Star 67"
The Martyr dive into uncharted territory on "Star 67", fusing hardstyle, metal, and emo into a chaotic, high-voltage exploration of self-concealment and mental unraveling. “Strangers” hits like an adrenaline-fueled freefall, capturing the tension of performing a persona while losing grip on your true self, while the title track warps guitars into synth-like textures, pushing their sound into bold new directions. What makes this release resonate is its relentless intensity—the band embraces maximalism, inner chaos, and the pressure of hiding who you really are, all at once.
“A daring, high-voltage fusion of hardstyle, metal, and emo that captures the chaos of holding yourself together while the world pushes you apart.”
Check out our official SHOWGRAPHERS playlists with even more songs: