Rally – Only Dreams (2025)
While the alternative/indie-rock duo Rally may be newbies in the music scene – or at least the streaming side of things – the group holds a warm familiarity, making you feel as if you are greeting an old friend, not a new acquaintance. Drawing together the talents of Milo Mercer and Thomas Berry, the UK-based pair weave a well of raw nostalgia and refreshing modernity in their melodies. Join us as we jump into their debut EP, Only Dreams.
A four-track EP that is, in their words, “a dusty DIY blend of lo-fi rock, upbeat indie and MPC-driven production recorded between bedrooms and rehearsal rooms… through hazy nostalgia and late-night introspection…”, Only Dreams is an intimate, resonating walk through human emotion.
Opening with a softer, lighter, dusky hit of 80s indie-rock, ‘Alien Times’ is a weaving of bold bass, soaring guitars, and steady drums pulsating in the background. Add the subdued vocals executed with huskiness, and you have a song that is soothing and mellifluous, but retains an odd ruggedness in its tender embrace.
Following ‘Alien Times’, Rally presents ‘First of the Year’. While the flowing run of indie-rock continues with this gritty track, it has more confidence with a pulsating bass and crashing drums peeping from its underbelly. Head along to ‘Only Dreams’, and Rally ups the melodic tempo slightly, although simultaneously, veiling the track with subdued lo-fi tones. Ending things with ‘The Cobblestones’, Rally showcase a rougher side to their personality. Heavier and more alternative rock-inspired, the track has a full-bodied weightiness with somewhat tougher instrumentation.
For me, Only Dreams is the introduction to a rather new band that might have found a particular sound, but I would encourage them to continue expanding their horizons. For me, there is no issue with Only Dreams as an EP that you can chill out to, lie back and enjoy from beginning to end. Yet, I feel Rally has so much more to give, and I am eager to see what they come up with. Personally, and this is merely my opinion, I think there is a clip of grunge or heavier alternative rock lurking beneath the surface. Who knows, only time will tell.
Find out more about Rally on their Instagram, Bandcamp and Spotify.
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