Drawing us in with a dimensional and glistening alternative rock energy featuring whispered ad-libs, Headmaster opens the Fall Back EP with a track called Soulmates (We Are). We immediately connect to the cinematic vibe that manifests and the whispered vocalizations of the track name which add an ethereal allure.
We are reminded of The Smiths‘ 1985 song How Soon Is Now? and the breathy, grunge-adjacent main vocal further cements this. The prose is introspective, “Some words to contemplate, some things are left to fate, like you and me, are meant to be, someday…”
Fans of Muse, Placebo and The Cure would also be able to connect with Soulmates (We Are). The production is enchanting yet high-octane, the astral notions add a cosmic energy whilst the overarching sentiment feels dreamy. The sonic switch-up to clarity for the layered duet is interesting and leads up through to a euphoric energy that re-inforces the celestial message of the song.
We could imagine Soulmates (We Are) featuring in a potential A Court of Thorns and Roses adaptation, or the new Carrie series on Amazon Prime. The energy of the track is also stadium-filling and carries a high emotional quotient which we could imagine at festivals like Coachella, or Reading.
Next up is Enigma which opens with a playful and cinematic bass line like the opening of a detective movie. It’s giving The Mask meets The Pink Panther, but expands into another shimmering alt rock frequency which taps into notions of progressive jazz with an 80s twist. The high vocals remind us of Tame Impala and we are hypnotized by the sonic intelligence of the architecture of the track.
This leads us through to Two Sides To The Sun which opens with Linkin Park-esque drama and dynamism. The minor chords tap into a strong emotional resonance before we experience thought-provoking lyrics that feel conscious. The overarching concept of the song is that of better understanding the multitudes that we, and the universe, contain.
It also feels like a song that invites us to pull back the veil and truly re-imagine our purpose. The production is sublime and fans of Soundgarden would have a lot to vibe with here both lyrically and sonically. The ebbs and flows of the track keep us enthralled throughout, ending with a spacey, astral frequency and leaving us yearning for more.
There is no doubt that as a three-track collection, the Fall Back EP gives us a really interesting snapshot of Headmaster‘s wider sonic universe. We learn that the EP is a remastered selection from Seasons Vol. 2: Autumn, which was originally released in 2025. The narrative arc moves from romantic introspection to playful, almost psychedelic experimentation before arriving at something much more expansive and existential.
For some context, Headmaster is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with roots in North Wales and a musical journey that brought him to London in the 1990s with his band Firetown. His ambitious Seasons tetralogy explores the cyclical nature of life, emotion and transformation, with each album representing a different chapter in that journey.
We could imagine the three tracks landing sync placements in films like Donnie Darko, The Crow, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Matrix, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Butterfly Effect. In addition to the aforementioned shows, on television, they could fit well into The OA, Dark, Stranger Things, The End of the F**ing World* and Yellowjackets.
Needless to say, we are obsessed and have added all three tracks to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists, whilst we continue to stream the exquisite, wider discography of Headmaster, and anticipate future releases from the visionary artist.