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Apr 25, 2023 By Caleb Campbell

London-based singer/songwriter James Crowley has crafted a delicate and spectral style of indie folk, layering vulnerable confessions atop intricate guitar lines and glassy sonic textures. Crowley first emerged with his 2019 EP, What I Thought I Felt, and returned last year with his new single, “Kerosene,” followed by another new track, “By You.” Now Crowley is set to debut his sophomore EP, Vapour Trails, out May 5th.

James says of the EP, “Writing Vapour Trails was a way of trying to understand what I’m leaving behind in the world. We are constantly making artifacts of what it means to be human, from the relationships we form to the lasting memories and impressions we make on the people around us. I sifted through these artifacts: fragments, memories and conversations to get to know myself better and to get closer to the version of myself that other people see. And I know now the only answer is to keep feeling and keep making.”

Today, ahead of the record’s release he’s shared another new single, “Probably Should Have Changed,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Probably Should Have Changed” finds Crowley settling into a meditative folk rock rhythm, with his golden-hued vocals ringing above some sauntering percussion and winding guitar lines. Though Crowley’s arrangements are more expansive and full-bodied than on the record’s previous singles, he retains those tracks’ gorgeous use of space. Coupled with Crowley’s vocals plantive performance and confessional lyrics, the track leaves the listener feeling as if they are wandering beneath endless blue skies. Crowley sings, “I’ll see you on the other side / Once I take back all that was mine / Because I still need a part of me to be seen / There’s something so sweet in my relief.”

Crowley explains of the song, “‘Probably Should Have Changed’ came from a time of intense frustration. I set myself unreasonably high expectations, and sometimes these expectations end up leaving me in a state of total paralysis. Eventually, repeating the same patterns of behaviour and thinking got tiring. Writing this song gave me the chance to accept that often it’s my own fault, my own inaction, that undoes me.”

Check out the song below. The Vapour Trails EP is out May 5th.