Review - The 'Burbs EP - St£fan
Teen angst anthems for adulthood.
If you’re looking for an artist that understands a cultural zeitgeist, Stefan’s your man. As one third of The Midnight Beast he found viral success with comedic parodies and satirical original songs (“Who’s the other one? / I think it’s Nick Clegg…” is still one of the most astute pieces of political commentary we’ve had since Spitting Image was cancelled). This talent for tapping into a cultural moment shines on The ‘Burbs EP too. Stefan gets to the beating heart of the millennial condition in all its depressed, disillusioned glory in a way that feels like a homecoming for anyone who’s all grown up- but not quite grown into it yet.
One thing that’s immediately clear on The ‘Burbs EP is Stefan’s talent for playing with genre. (Few artists would attempt a rap-infused Frank Sinatra pastiche. Fewer still would pull it off with such aplomb!). The finesse used to explore so many influences across this EP’s succinct 10 and a half minute runtime is a feat in its own right. The ‘Burbs EP flits between indietronica soundscapes, alt-rock guitars, and acoustic folk at a pace that’s dizzying but deliberate. The combination of hazy lofi beats against a harsher guitar line on “Everybody Wants To Be Depressed” might seem unexpected on paper, but it’s a stylistic choice that pays off. Grappling with the dissonance between the glamorised ‘expectations vs. reality’ of mental health struggles, the track benefits from a sound that’s artfully at odds with itself.
For anyone looking for a real nostalgia hit, “Action Hero” answers the call. Its fuzzy reverbed vocals and punchy guitar feel like an early aughts Gorillaz-meets-Simple Plan fusion in the best way possible. The most energetic offering on the EP, “Action Hero” is fun, furious, and anthemic in its frustration at wanting to be someone else and do something more.
Stefan is back to his genre-blurring best on the titular third track, a lilting lament on suburban mundanity. “The ‘Burbs” starts out a languid indie number, before building to a screaming alt-rock rage that “we’re all gonna die in the ‘burbs!”. It’s a cathartic release before the haunting echo of “it works for now...” that plays out the track. The fade-out as the final line repeats is a masterstroke, that once-hopeful sentiment waning into the Ghost of Aspirations Past.
The ‘Burbs EP closes with the cynical-yet-soothing “Nobody Cares”. There’s a lighter touch to the production effects at the tail-end of the EP. Stefan cleverly strips them back to their bare essentials, the acoustic vibe adding an unexpected vulnerability to what’s otherwise the sharpest track lyrically. His gift for the irreverent is undeniable here, flippantly telling the listener their life is a “Shakespeare tragedy” before reassuring them “You’re insignificant / No different / Same goes for me too”. We’re being called out for our existential crisis, but offered camaraderie in it too. Stefan may just have saved the best for last with “Nobody Cares”. This folksy, nihilistic lullaby of a track feels like a deep breath in and a moment to recentre before we get back to the daily minutiae of dinner prep, nursery pick-ups, and taking the bins out.
Speaking about the EP in May this year, Stefan said: “[as an artist] you want your latest song to resemble where you’re at right now”. While this is clearly an introspective work, Stefan has inadvertently created a deeply relatable- and vital- soundtrack for the millennial experience. The ‘Burbs EP lays bare the angst, anxiety, and apathy of a disenchanted generation in a way that leaves you feeling personally addressed and deeply exposed in equal measure...
And it kinda feels good, doesn’t it?
(Relese Date: 19th November 2025, Pound Sign Records)
