Real Shadows is one of those debut EPs that immediately signals it is not here to fight you for attention. It’s not screaming for playlist placement, it’s not doing the whole “hi this is my face and my lore” thing and it’s definitely not trying to convince you it was assembled by a committee of algorithms in a dark room. Instead, Theia-Duk quietly slides four songs across the table and says, “These work. Sit with them.” And annoyingly enough, they do.
At its core, Real Shadows is a song-first project, which sounds like the bare minimum until you remember how rare that actually is. These tracks are built around harmony, groove, and arrangement in a way that feels almost old-fashioned; live drums that breathe, guitars that sound like they’re being played by actual hands and horns and strings that show up because the song asked for them, not because someone ticked a genre box. It’s pop and indie-adjacent, sure, but filtered through soul instincts and a clear respect for melody over spectacle.
The EP opens with “This Is Fire,” which immediately sets the tone by refusing to be ironic. It’s a fiddle-driven, country-leaning barn-burner that feels playful without tipping into novelty. Think Holly Humberstone energy if she wandered into a stomp-clap-adjacent country jam and decided to stay. It’s lively, charming, and most importantly, confident, like the project knows exactly how warm and accessible it wants to be without apologizing for it.
“Glide” pulls things back a bit, but not in a momentum-killing way. The tempo slows, the arrangement opens up, and the emotional center becomes clearer. It still carries that Humberstone-esque vulnerability, but filtered through a more rootsy, grounded palette. The restraint here works: instead of chasing a big emotional peak, the song lets its groove and vocal blend do the heavy lifting. It’s the kind of track that sneaks up on you halfway through and you suddenly realize you’ve stopped doing whatever else you were doing.
The EP’s most surprising moment comes with “How Lucky You Are.” The trumpet touches immediately shift the setting, dropping the song into a breezy, New Orleans-tinged pop space that feels both fresh and familiar. Vocally, this is where Theia-Duk leans into a deeper register, flirting with Alanis Morissette territory without falling into imitation. The result is warm, slightly wistful, and emotionally grounded. It’s the song that most clearly signals the project’s ambition; not just to sound nice, but to say something sincere without melodrama.
Closing track “Never Ever Ever Been Better” takes a left turn into alt-rock territory, blending shades of Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette, and early Colbie Caillat. It’s the most outward-facing track on the EP, with a fuller arrangement and a more classic radio-rock structure. But even here, the emphasis stays on feel rather than flash. Nothing is overcooked. Nothing is trying to prove it belongs.
What really ties Real Shadows together is its refusal to overexplain itself. The decision to keep the project visually low-profile feels intentional rather than evasive. In an era of relentless self-branding, Theia-Duk’s near-anonymity comes across as a statement: the songs are the point. With Erich Russek’s writing providing cohesion and Terra Talina’s mix preserving warmth and dynamics, the EP feels human in a way that’s increasingly rare nowadays and that’s why it should be treasured all the more.
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About the Author
A tenured media critic known working as a ghost writer, freelance critic for various publications around the world, the former lead writer of review blogspace Atop The Treehouse and content creator for Manila Bulletin.
[…] AT ITS CORE, REAL SHADOWS IS A SONG-FIRST PROJECT […]