Artist: The Specific Heats
Album: Decaydes Later 鈥� EP
Label: Summer Man Records
Recorded: Santa Fe, NM 鈥� July 2023 to April 2024
Genre: Psych-Rock
Reviewer: Norina Morales aka DJ Nomi
Rating: 7/10
Recommended Tracks: 2, 4 & 5
A Fresh Return with Familiar Spark
This EP marks the first official release from The Specific Heats in over a decade. Emerging from a long hiatus, the trio deliver five succinct tracks that both nod to their vintage influences and stake a claim in the present. Given their roots in Santa Fe/New Mexico (with ties to Boston), there鈥檚 a lively interplay between sun-washed indie pop and leaner garage jangle.
Sound & Style
ReviewThe Specific Heats have a great sound for a trio鈥攖ight, bright, and instantly familiar. The songs on Decaydes Later sparkle with the kind of pop clarity that makes them easy to love, even as they flirt with psychedelic and surf textures without diving fully in.
The EP opens with 鈥淪plitting Seams,鈥� a buoyant, playful track that moves with confidence and melody. 鈥淣ow She鈥檚 Gone鈥� follows with a surf-tinged shimmer and a touch of that vintage Ventures drive. 鈥淎ll the World is Saturday鈥� softens the pace, carrying a gentle, dreamlike quality that recalls early British pop harmonies.
On the flip side, 鈥淲hat Would You Have Me Do?鈥� hits a groove built on crisp percussion and sunny chord changes, while 鈥淪o Far Away鈥� leans into the retro heart of the band鈥檚 sound鈥攖hink late-鈥�60s whimsy filtered through contemporary indie warmth.
The EP itself is a limited-run 10-inch on marbled bio-vinyl, complete with liner notes and lyrics鈥攁 detail that reflects how much care went into the project. The band鈥檚 roots span Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Boston, and their influences stretch across decades: moody garage, surf, sunshine pop, post-punk, and early-2000s indie. The result feels timeless rather than nostalgic, polished yet still intimate.
Decaydes Later is catchy and well-balanced鈥攍ess about reinvention than refinement. It鈥檚 a quick listen, but one that lingers, full of color, warmth, and easy replay value.
For fans of garage-pop, surf-tinged indie, or just crisp, melodic guitar music with personality, this is a solid 7-out-of-10 effort鈥攁nd it leaves you eager for what they鈥檒l do next.
