Nord Electric – Loneliness For Sale (EP)
Release Date: 12th September 2025
Label: Outer Battery Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Dream Pop, Shoegaze, Alternative.
FFO: Turnover, Title Fight, The Smiths.
Review By: Ross Bowie
Nord Electric is a new trans-European band formed of Mark Gardner & Giulio Sangiraldi, after the pair worked together for Italian Shoegaze band Votiva Lux. Forming a connection over a love of music and their mutual love of football, the pair decided to take their collaboration forward and form a band, to take their sonic journey to the next step. They later expanded their horizons and recruited veteran drummer Neil Conti. The now three-piece have released their debut EP, Loneliness For Sale.
Loneliness For Sale, is a breezy and light 4 track EP, blending together dream pop, shoegaze and the occasional fuzzed up guitar hooks, entwined with a laid back and often effortless vocal approach. The album wastes no time dialling in the reverb, as the title tracks kicks things off, immediately starting with a luscious tone all while having an early noughties indie vibe pulsing through the track. The songs are short and concise but with little time to get their hooks in you, the band don’t waste any time. The vocal melodies come so naturally and easy for you to follow along. Traces has a drum sound that fills your headspace as the songs clicks into gear and really shoots up a level when the electric guitar is introduced, grabbing your attention and holding on for dear life. Again, the vocal play is intricate but effective, especially as the layers and counter melodies grow with every passing second of the song’s 3-minute run time.
The EP’s highlight is track 3, When Are You Gonna Wake Up. This is where the band really dial into their shoegaze past as shades of Turnover & Title Fight, emerge from the speakers as a summery yet autumnal tint washes over the music. Nord Electric bring in some subtle but ear catching synth work here, giving the verses to the song that extra texture, while the chorus is so easy to sing along to that it won’t leave your head for days. They once again add more layers to the vocals, making every chorus sound bigger and more anthemic.
While the EP, then ends on an instrumental track, while good and builds really nicely especially with the distorted bass intertwining with the fuzzed-up guitar, but it feels like it’s building to a big vocal break that unfortunately never comes. A catchy vocal hook or soaring vocal melody off the back of the momentum the song builds, and Nordic Electric could have had their standout moment of their initial release.
This is an impressive debut, while all the songs are short, there is enough here to keep your eye on the three-piece. As an initial run of songs from 3 musicians darted around the globe, it’s a promising first go at the wheel, hopefully with more in the tank. With Loneliness For Sale, Nordic Electric, have crafted an EP that feels both intimate and expansive. Capturing the hazy allure of shoegaze while keeping a sharp indie edge. For a three-piece, their sound in impressively layered, pulling you into waves of melancholy and light in equal measure. It’s a confident first step forward which hints and even greater things to come.
(3.5 / 5)
