The hardest challenges we face in life are those which catch us off-guard. Moments of profound loss and grief, instances of dizzying panic and confusion. The greatest of these will all arrive without warning, without any opportunity to prepare or brace yourself for the painful road ahead. Often left too dazed and dumbstruck to really react, all we can do is feel it. All of it. I Didn’t See It Coming, the new EP from Halifax trio EEVAH, lives and breathes in the aftermath of the unexpected, and instils every bit of that feeling into its bittersweet melodies. Nicole Hope Smith’s vocals capturing both that numb, hollow emptiness, and the soft quiver of a voice barely holding back a raging tempest. All while Richard McNamara’s hazy dream pop guitar swirls and billows like an ink blot in water, and Fay Clayton’s steady drum beats pulse like blood pumping through your ears.

‘Lullaby’ dwells in the moment of calm that follows bolting awake in cold sweats in the middle of the night. Trying to dispel all the fears and doubts swarming your mind, reaching for something to ground you, the earworm chorus capturing the comfort of birdsong and the promise found in the light of a new day. The title track and ‘If it Ain’t You’ tackle the pain and upheaval of being blindsided by a break-up, trying to figure out where things went wrong and to envisage a new future without “the one”. For my money though, it’s closing track ‘I Still Think Of You’ that most pulls on your heartstrings. This exploration of grief, of coming to terms with the reality of losing someone you love, sees the band at their most emotionally charged, all culminating in a soaring, cathartic climax. The toughest hurdles we face may arrive out of the blue, but the same is true of the greatest joys: love, laughter, and – in the case of EEVAH – discovering new music that truly touches your heart.

EEVAH’s new EP I Didn’t See It Coming is out now, and is perfect for fans of Wolf Alice, Bleach Lab and Nieve Ella.