Let me keep dreaming.

heaving. have put together the kind of short release that doesn't need much time to establish what they're about. This Peoria, Illinois four-piece brings together nu-metal weight, grunge haze, post-hardcore aggression, and shoegaze atmosphere without sounding like they're simply checking off a list of influences. why are you still dreaming? is only three songs and barely nine minutes long, but it feels deliberately constructed as one connected piece rather than three unrelated singles. The songs flow into each other, the mood stays consistent, and the band create a strong contrast between softer melodic passages and heavier sections. For a young band still developing their identity, that sense of direction is probably the most encouraging thing here.

“faces of you” starts with hollow drums, washed-out distortion, and a thick low end before the guitars gradually become more prominent. There is an immediate shoegaze quality to the atmosphere, but the weight underneath keeps the song from drifting too far into dream-pop territory. Morgan Stricklin's vocals sit comfortably in that space, sounding clear and melodic while retaining enough roughness to give the band some edge. Tyler Spatafore's drumming adds movement through fills and rolls without overcrowding the relatively simple foundation. As the song develops, distant screams and denser guitars creep into the arrangement, making the heavier passages feel like a natural escalation rather than an obligatory breakdown.

The transition into “if i cried out” is one of the better details on the release because there is no obvious reset between the two songs. The heavier guitars arrive with more immediate force, while the low end becomes more pronounced as the drums lock into place. Some of the unusual guitar tones can sound slightly abrasive, particularly when the sharper textures sit against the smoother vocal sections, but the band find their footing when the song opens into its larger alternative-rock and shoegaze chorus. This is where heaving. sound most convincing to me. The clean vocals provide the emotional center while the guitars create enough density around them to keep the song from becoming too soft.

The back half of “if i cried out” shows that the band understand pacing. Instead of immediately chasing another massive riff, they allow the arrangement to fall into something more mournful before gradually rebuilding. The deeper distorted bass becomes especially effective here, giving the closing section more physical weight while the drums and guitars settle around it. It's a good example of heaving. creating impact through contrast rather than simply making everything louder. There are moments where the instrumentation is more interesting than the vocal melody, but when those elements line up, the song develops a surprisingly strong emotional pull.

“carsick” closes the EP with a slightly different guitar approach, using more expressive riffs, reverb, and space between the notes. The drums remain relatively straightforward, but they stay tight enough to keep the track moving without interfering with the atmosphere. The bass again provides a solid foundation, while Stricklin's vocals sound particularly controlled when the harsher elements enter. Rather than trying to make the final song the biggest moment, the band treat it as a continuation of the mood established earlier. That makes sense considering the release is designed to loop continuously, and even the heavier passages maintain the smooth, hazy character of the EP.

The biggest strength of why are you still dreaming? is how well heaving. balance atmosphere and weight. You can hear the influence of bands like Deftones, Hum, Superheaven, and Helmet in the approach to tone and pacing, but the songs aren't simply recreating any of those sounds. The guitars shift between thick haze and sharper textures, while the rhythm section knows when to settle into a groove and when to make things feel more aggressive. That balance gives the EP more personality than a straightforward shoegaze-meets-metalcore formula.

The production is important because this kind of music depends on having enough separation between all the layers. Tyler Spatafore handled the recording, with James Treichler tracking drums and Adam Cichocki handling the mix and master, and the finished release has a fuller low end than the band's earlier material. The bass provides the physical center while the guitars build a washed-out wall without completely burying the vocals. Some guitar tones can still feel a little abrasive, and a few heavier moments could hit harder, but the overall presentation sounds developed beyond what you'd expect from such a young band.

The vocals are another strong point. Stricklin's clean singing is probably the most immediately memorable element because it gives the heavier instrumentation something human to push against. The screams work best when they're used as punctuation rather than becoming the main focus. That allows the melodic sections to carry more emotional weight and fits the band's preference for moving between vulnerability and aggression.

There are still areas where heaving. can grow. Some riffs could be more distinctive, and a few of the heavier transitions don't hit with quite the force the arrangements promise. I'd also like to hear the band push their rhythm section further as they develop, because there is already a solid foundation there. The clean vocals are strong enough to become an even bigger part of their identity, particularly when placed against harsher guitar tones.

What I appreciate most is that why are you still dreaming? doesn't try to do too much. Plenty of young heavy bands throw every possible influence into a song to demonstrate how versatile they are. heaving. seem more interested in establishing a recognizable mood and then exploring different corners of it. “faces of you” establishes the hazy side, “if i cried out” pushes the heavier and more emotional elements forward, and “carsick” brings everything together with a little more space and patience.

For such a short release, it leaves a surprisingly clear impression. The band take the hazy emotional side of shoegaze and alternative rock and give it enough low-end muscle to remain heavy, while the post-hardcore influence keeps the softer sections from becoming too comfortable. The songs aren't flawless, but they feel connected, and that matters because the EP works best as one continuous listen.

The title fits the music almost perfectly. Everything has a half-awake quality, like you're moving through something familiar while the edges keep becoming distorted. The guitars blur around the vocals, the atmosphere hangs in the background, and then the bass and drums remind you that something much heavier is sitting underneath it all.

heaving. are still figuring out exactly how far they can push that contrast, but the foundation is already there. They can write a memorable melody, build a convincing atmosphere, and make the heavier sections feel like they belong instead of simply inserting them for impact. why are you still dreaming? may only be three songs, but it feels like a deliberate statement from a band beginning to understand what makes their version of heavy music work. It leaves me wanting more, which is probably the best possible result for a release this short.