With Vital Signs, UK shoegaze band Oversize deliver a sweeping, heavy-lidded journey through reverb-drenched rock and emotional haze. Blending elements of soft rock, grunge, and nu-metal into a rich shoegaze palette, the album offers a sound both nostalgic and fresh — tapping into the 90s without getting lost in it. The band leans into distorted warmth and ambient tension, crafting a body of work that drifts, crashes, and ultimately lands with a sense of cathartic release.

The opening track, “Stalling,” sets the tone in a subtle but effective way — shimmering guitar textures wrapped in gauzy distortion and distant, breathy vocals. The interplay between soft and heavy elements becomes a recurring motif across the album. Here, tight drum fills and thick basslines offer an undercurrent of tension beneath the song’s haunting calm. It’s an introduction that eases you in, while hinting at the storm to come.

“Are You With Me?” answers that question with a resounding push of force. The album comes alive with a more aggressive shoegaze thrust, channeling a blend of Deftones-style alt-metal and classic wall-of-sound layering. Gritty riffs and cavernous reverb elevate the track, while the repeated chant of the title at the end injects urgency and intensity. It's a turning point that kicks the record into high gear and reveals Oversize’s knack for contrast — softness and heaviness in conversation, not competition.

That dynamic continues into “Fall Apart,” where warped intros and low-end crunch lean into a distinctly late-90s nu-metal aesthetic, without falling into parody. Oversize doesn’t mimic; instead, they repurpose those textures with care. Thick, tactile basslines and soft, melancholic vocals nestle into the dense mix, making the heaviness feel emotional rather than aggressive. The band seems to be pulling from personal collapse, not just sonic tradition.

“Something Clean” brings a return to ambient subtlety. A fuzzy, melancholic bass tone guides the track, carrying weight like emotional gravity. Riffs are hypnotic in their simplicity, and there’s a brief low-end scream that momentarily breaks the haze — an unexpected moment that works precisely because it's fleeting. The vocals, heavily affected and peaceful, give the track a dreamlike sadness that lingers long after it fades.

“Daretomove” picks the pace back up with a soaring wash of hollow-sounding, reverb-drenched riffs. The vocals stretch outward, echoing through a wide sonic space. The song feels massive — not in volume, but in scope. Faint backing screams add a shadowy texture behind the clean melodies, and once again the band nails the balance between clarity and chaos.

Throughout the album, Oversize continually experiment within their framework. “The Incline” introduces cleaner, flowing guitar scales that add momentum and energy, while “From The Hell” leans into slower, more spacey textures. That track, in particular, stands out for how cold and hollow it feels — until it suddenly swells into a glorious shoegaze crescendo. It’s a moment of sublime transformation that ends all too soon.

Near the end, tracks like “Salt” and “Vacant” showcase the band’s grasp of structure and atmosphere. “Salt” is delicate but emotionally loaded — layering vocals and dynamics to great effect. “Vacant,” on the other hand, punches through with some of the album’s heaviest riffs, giving a much-needed jolt of energy before the close. There’s a certain 90s grunge snarl buried beneath the shoegaze fog, and it’s a welcome burst of contrast.

The closing title track, “Vital Signs,” ties it all together. It feels like a summary of the band’s sonic identity: dynamic drumming, fuzzy and gritty riffs, emotional but restrained vocals, and a finale that leans hard into distortion and drive. There's a push-pull between beauty and abrasion that Oversize handles with skill — never tipping too far in either direction.

Vital Signs isn’t just a shoegaze record. It's a genre-blending statement of identity — pulling from grunge, nu-metal, dream pop, and alternative rock, while grounding it all in rich, emotional songwriting and a deep understanding of atmosphere. Oversize manage to create a world that's both ethereal and visceral — a sonic landscape that feels just as much like falling apart as it does holding on.