Brooklyn, USA’s Extra Space proved a delightful discovery back in 2024 thanks to their indie and dream-pop debut album, Green Season, a record put together somewhat accidentally.

By Graeme Smith

While the origins of the album were happy chance, its thoughtful composition was very much deliberate. I described it as “an album full of surprises yet hangs together beautifully.”

Joey Puleio and Chris Kyle, the duo that make up Extra Space, have a way of rendering the ordinary in a new light, and their new album, New Colors, very much continues to show us their strengths in this regard.

The album’s central concept is an exploration of time, perception, and the beauty found in ordinary moments, and that concept shines through in Extra Space’s philosophical lyrics throughout its eight tracks and 28 minutes.

We are greeted by Never Wanted. Vibrant, punchy percussion meets soft, dreamy overtones as vocal harmonies set the emotional scene. The lyrics draw on natural imagery and a certain laissez-faire and gentle questioning while jangly guitar solos provide a little texture.

The album is set out as a journey, moving from fragmentation to cohesion, reflected not just lyrically but also by Extra Space’s approach to composition. The pair are proving masters of subtlety, and New Colors is the kind of album that needs more than one listen to get a sense of. There are things in the instrumentals and the lyrics you just don’t get on the first playthrough.

Extra Space punctuate their compositions with some soft, jazzy noodling and a sense of sonic exploration. Spiral provides an early earworm to cement the listeners attention. The nebulous yet raucous Something Strange is a highlight as is the laidback Elevator which follows it. The latter’s lyrics paint a vivid picture, transporting you as you listen.

Babble closes things psychedelically, drawing on the ‘70s as much as modern day to create its sound.

Compared to Green Season, New Colors feels like a continuation and evolution rather than a revolution, but if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. It’s also their first fully intentional effort, and that extra thought comes through.

Extra Space’s new album takes the ponderations of their debut and go deeper with them while sticking with their charming DIY sound. It could be an album of the year contender.

If you want to keep up to date with all Extra Space are doing, you can by following them on Instagram, Spotify, and Bandcamp.

New Colors is out on 26 June 2026. You can pre-order it here.