Joint project of vocalist Cheryl Janzen and multi-instrumentalist Bevan Early, Vague Notion, sits at the intersection of contemporary indie electronica and post-punk. Their EP GLOW experiments with these genres, introducing unexpected sci-fi inspired sonic textures into nostalgic yet futuristic tracks and offering up emotional, cinematic lyricism that grounds their experimentation.
Drawing on post-punks rawness and indie electronica’s atmospheric expansiveness, they sit among artists like Drab Majesty, recalling a spacey electro-pop with post-punk sound. Yet where Drab Majesty introduce a more processed sounding style, Vague Notion’s sound retains an organic, almost cinematic quality. This sits alongside the quieter introspection of Holbrook JM’s EP Aliens (2023) particularly its use of acoustic textures woven through electronica, as well as the experimental dissonance of Fever Ray. Their lyricism echoes Interpol’s stream-of-consciousness style and underlying sense of longing, and Cheryl Janzen’s unique voice blends qualities of Sharon van Etten, Chrissie Hynde, and Björk
It opens with ‘Visceral Reaction’ which introduces the sci-fi beats that permeate throughout the album, providing a distinctly rare sound that sits in the atmospheric edges of indie electronica. Janzen’s voice reverberates throughout the song in ethereal echoes, carrying repetitive lyrics ‘A visceral reaction’ and ‘A glow all around’.Track two, ‘We Made It So’, brings the EP closer to post-punk territory with its crunchy, wailing guitar leads and heavier drum beats anchoring the song amidst stacked, reverb vocals. ‘Peace Dub’ is anchored by snare drums, cymbals and rhythmic snaps against a recurring guitar loop. It nudges the album towards a more experimental, lo-fi corner of indie electronica as it weaves cricket sounds through the backing.
The second half of the EP leads with, ‘Blue Skinned Dog’, opening with the most decisively innovative introduction of the album with futuristic beats and high tonal frequencies that zip and scale across a steady drum beat. Track five, ‘Book of Time’, leads with a controlled chaos with layers of cinematic chords, electric tonalities and otherworldly synths. The vocals lead with a rasping quality which standing in contrast to the unfamiliar backing track. ‘A Little Distraction’ pairs wailing guitars with choral vocal runs and strong anchoring synth beats. The lyrics move in cycles, both lyrically and structurally, circling back on events and phrases to highlight an internal tension that builds toward an abrupt sonic end, continuing the EP’s interplay between post-punk rawness and electronic abstraction.
GLOW is an EP that could comfortably sit within the Blade Runner soundtrack and not feel out of place, with its futuristic, cinematic textures aligning with that same dystopian atmosphere. Bevan Early’s intricately layered instrumentation blends seamlessly with Cheryl Janzen’s unique vocals to create an EP that pushes boundaries and positions Vague Notion within a growing space where post-punk and indie electronica continue to blur. It charts disorienting sonic territory as Vague Notion begins to dig deep into the ways genres can bend and mutate to enter a new soundscape that stands on its own with their EP GLOW.
“GLOW, is Vague Notion at their most expansive and emotionally luminous, an EP that moves like shifting light through mountain air. It captures their signature blend of cinematic electronics and raw human expression, while pushing into a brighter, more forward-facing energy that feels both fearless and deeply alive,” shares music publicist Danielle Holian, Decent Music PR.
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