she’s green
swallowtail EP
Photo Finish
Jul 09, 2026 Web Exclusive By Haydon Spenceley
She’s green have been justifiably building buzz as purveyors of a mighty fine brand of shoegaze and ethereal indie rock since their 2023 EP Wisteria took the scene by storm. Now swallowtail arrives ready to cement their status as one of the best and most exciting bands of their time. Coming in at seven tracks and 29 minutes this record still counts as a long EP rather than a short album. The power and beauty of the band is only growing, which is shown in multiple spots on the record, whether on the more understated “dear ivy” (“and I need you know” ringing out in its latter stages atop some beautiful lead guitar lines) or in the more restrained “empty house” where vocalist Zofia Smith truly comes to the fore.
Elsewhere, tracks build to perhaps more traditional levels of noise and intensity. Both “paper thin’ and “mettle” conclude with squalls of noise and a sense of real power without ever truly losing control, as the guitars of Liam Armstrong and Raines Lucas interplay beautifully and with chiming power. Elsewhere, the rolling groove of “keeper” enables Teddy Nordvold and Kevin Seebeck’s rhythm section to showcase its prowess.
The final track, the seven-minute-long “close your eyes,” does what you might hope a closing track on a record of this type might do, drawing all of the best elements of the band together into one initially delicate but ultimately and conclusively raucous package.
For those who know she’s green it will be no surprise that swallowtail continues their ascent as contemporary shoegaze’s band of the moment. For those yet to discover them this is a great place to start. However, and perhaps this is the best bit of all, as good as this record is, the feeling persists that there is more to come from an exciting band. (www.shesgreenband.com)
Author rating: 7/10
English (US) · 