Dublin-based electropunk trio YARD return with their second release in just twelve months, the appropriately titled EP #2. It follows their self-titled debut EP in May, and caps a year which also saw the three-piece play constantly throughout UK and EU. YARD have also been included in the first wave of artist announcements for SXSW in March 2026. The five-track EP features new material alongside re-imagined fan favourites.
‘Essential Tremor’ opens with bars of static before the pulsating techno kicks in. Thematically it channels anxiety and physical fragility and this is reflected in the twitchy warping synths which come and go with such intensity. The impassioned vocal expresses such emotion, at times quiet and understated and at others bristling with frustration. “With age comes health complications, medical procedures, surgeries and medication confront us with how our bodies change over time,” frontman Emmett White explains. “It’s frightening, and it leaves us having to understand our new physical selves.”
The distant chatter at the beginning of‘Big Shoes’ soon shifts into a bouncing pounding track with playful guitar riffs and vocals which are having fun with the delivery. The mid-track chatter allows for the sonics to regroup and this time the twitchy electronics join in the fun. And then the drop. The euphoric final third is impossible to resist, the infectious beats will grab hold and not let go. The chatter returns at the end perhaps suggesting one is attempting to make sense of the world despite the distractions of “noise” all around. “The things you crave, I don’t need.”
‘Friction’, features Adam Faulkner of Gilla Band on drums, and has a slower wind up which feels laboured and plodding. There is the feeling of an internal dialogue attempting to connect externally but finding it so difficult, such hard work. The vocal is angsty, edging towards angry but with oneself as there is a lack of understanding as to why such disconnect with those around one exists. The soundscape reflects this with distorted synths dominating as the track travels. The lyric “no explanation” seems to say everything.
There is an ominous start to ‘Lawmaker’ which gently gives way to a sonar pulse. The quiet vocals at the outset are echoey and layered with distortion, but then THUD THUD THUD enters the fray and the ferocious beats kick in. There is a slightly unnerving abrasive edge to ‘Lawmaker’, a sense of danger exuded, the wall of sound pushing back against authority, of those who look to cage freedom.
‘Auto Erotic’ eases the listener in, the heavy bass coming up through the floorboards. The EP closes out with this more thoughtful track, ironic given the track’s title. Rather than finishing on a bombastic note, YARD choose to share a slightly different sound, demonstrating their love of shuffling their sonic soundscapes. There is a mesmeric quality to this final track, hypnotising the listener.
YARD end the year perfectly poised as a One To Watch for 2026. Their second EP of 2025 is an exuberant euphoric collection encompassing a diverse range of sonics. There is no doubt they are primed and ready for the new year. I’ll see you on the dance floor.
For more information on YARD please check their facebook and instagram.
