EP Review: St. Barbe. – Shoal (Bridge the Gap)

Infusing technical metal and math rock with contemporary jazz, it’s London trio St. Barbe. The group’s ‘Shoal’ EP will be released on February 18th, 2026, via Bridge the Gap.

Funky, groovy, fun, weird, and very addictive. All of that sums up St. Barbe’s new EP. Where I am left as shocked by what I’ve heard as I am amazed. Few bands are capable of being this inventive, while also being this nonsensical. I still can’t decide if I like it or not.

What I can decide on is the fact that it’s astoundingly creative and likely to fascinate as many as it will disgust. You must have an open mind when listening to something like this, and your reward for such a willingness to experience experimentation like no other, is four tracks of varied enigmatic progressive music. Music that is near indescribable and can best be summed up by how each track makes you feel.

Which you will. You feel something thanks to uniquely structured tracks like Tierra which manages to sound funky in one aspect, dramatic in another, and with emotional weight throughout. Thanks to tracks like Pinch, a cinematic expression of madness and intensity via an eye-widening blend of jazz and rock.

Then there is the mellow Dorothy, a track you can really lean back into. Before the EP wraps up with one last exciting blast of peculiarity via the title track. Yet, just like the other tracks, its exceptionally listenable. Which is one of the most impressive things about the EP and St. Barbe overall.

St. Barbe – Shoal Track Listing:

1. Tierra
2. Pinch (feat. corto.alto)
3. Dorothy
4. Shoal

Links

Bandcamp | Instagram | TikTok