Punk House is the innovative new EP from Hamburg, Germany-based artist, Baydream.

By Graeme Smith

Consisting of eight tracks that run for a total of eighteen minutes and blending genre like nobody’s business, Punk House is not your typical EP. Yet, unconventional is what we’re used to from Baydream, having shared two of his EPs to these pages before.

Punk House is his most out there to date, and that makes it a notable EP for 2024. It opens soft and introspective with the dreamy Forever, and keeps up guessing through each of its tracks which run the gamut of indie rock, pop, hip-hop, soul, electronica and post-punk.

It’s a lot to pack into an EP, but it works. Somehow, it’s a record that will appeal to those with short attention spans and those who like to get deep into things, with each track standing on its own and contributing to a greater whole. Forever tees up the jangly rock of Blockbuster for an early taste of how this happens. The latter tells a nostalgic and sensual story that’s full of poetry and is a highlight.

Seasons | Powers smooths those jagged edges with a soulful RnB number while Drug ramps up the energy with a soaring pop rock moment. It’s another highlight.

The EP’s second half gives us the textured electronica of Baseline, the intimate Heart Bleach, and the cosmic hip-hop of End Time, End War. The EP is closed by Water Find Fire which gives things a final jazzy twist.

While Baydream is certainly pushing boundaries with his new EP, he is also doing the fundamentals well. Each track is well-composed with thoughtful lyrics and consideration for its audience. This balance makes it one of the best EPs I’ve heard this year.

Punk House is out now and you can give it a listen below.