Red Shift’s Time by the Ocean brought urgency back to indie rock –

Red Shift sharpened their pop-rock hooks for Time by the Ocean, the standout single from their recently released debut LP, Heartbreak and Goodbyes. Written to capture the existential pulse of postmodern malaise and restore some sense of emotional urgency, the track does more than mirror heartbreak and inertia; it swings back with soaring choruses, searing guitar textures and rhythms built to burst stadium ceilings.

There’s strident beauty in the vignette that captures the ability to change your perceptions and, by extension, the world. The rallying spirit of the track tears through the emotional stagnancy that weighs heavily across this depression-laden island. The hit drips with enough emo sensibilities to make it safe to hand your heart over to the rhythmic riptide, yet Red Shift never sinks into the obsessive gloom that characterises the genre’s self-sabotaging spectrum. They’re already proving their crossover appeal by earning spins from Kerrie Cosh on BBC Introducing and building a strong presence on the live circuit from The Horn to Todd in the Hole Festival; this release just cemented it.

Formed in 2025, the Hertfordshire-based four-piece hit the ground running with their infectious fusion of indie rock and contemporary pop, sewn together with songwriting that actually means something. Whether it’s in the resonant depth of Toby Wood’s vocal delivery or the storm that swells from Cameron Angrave-Smith, Calum Thompson, and Zac Smith, the sound of Red Shift is loud, alive, and unapologetically affective.

Time by the Ocean is now available on all major streaming platforms, including SoundCloud. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast