West Side Highway (2021)
Melt’s West Side Highway EP marks a clear shift in tone. Where their earlier singles leaned into vibrant, jazz-pop energy, this one slows everything down and leans hard into atmosphere. It’s softer, more introspective, and more focused on texture than tempo—which is either a bold pivot or a soft reset, depending on how you frame it.
Don’t Want Me opens with acoustic fingerpicking and melancholic vocals, immediately stripping away the band’s usual brightness. The 60s-tinged guitar tone wouldn’t feel out of place on an early Queen of Jeans record. The middle eight briefly threatens to break the spell, but doesn’t—returning to the same hazy mood it came from. Tease and retreat. Very on-brand.
Hours brings back the vocals from Eric Gabriel and doubles down on dreamy textures. The guitar strums stretch out and hang in the air. It’s understated, and purposely so—designed to create space rather than fill it.
West Side Highway brings the focus to lyrics, with soft vocals from Veronica Stewart-Frommer over a looping acoustic guitar and just a hint of trumpet. It’s sparse, but intentional, and one of the more emotionally direct tracks on the EP.
Never Be Alone is a slow burn. It’s got those piercing, Pink Floyd-style guitar accents and a melody that sneaks up on you. The energy stays low throughout, but there’s a clarity to the emotion that keeps it from drifting.
Waves shifts the tone, finally bringing some movement. The bass is funky, the organ adds warmth, and Veronica’s vocals pull it all together. It’s still laid-back, but has more bounce than anything else here—and it’s a welcome change of pace.
Brown Eyes closes things out gently, with cascading chimes, floaty pacing and long, sustained notes that create a sense of stillness. It’s a soft landing, and a fitting end.
As a full project, West Side Highway feels like Melt stepping back and stretching out. There’s no urgency here—just a quiet confidence in mood and melody. It’s not trying to impress; it’s just showing another side. One that shows Melt working in a different gear, pulling things inward, and doing so with just enough control to keep you listening.
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Highlight Songs:
Never Be Alone
Don’t Want Me
Hours
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Own it, Stream it, or Forget about it?
Melt is an incredibly interesting and even more exciting band to keep an eye on. I was made a fan upon their early alternative jazz singles prior to this EP, and while there is a sonic pivot, it is done with remarkable execution. Definitely not an EP to forget about. West Side Highway is a must stream EP and one I personally endorse in everyone’s music library. However, if you have to pick between owning this and their debut record? Well .. just you wait till you hear that one.
