Bay Area trio Sour Widows already drew as equally on sharpness as they did tenderness, but the deliberately spare atmosphere of their new EP Crossing Over enhances both. Recorded remotely by the band while plans for getting into a studio were put on indefinite hold, these four songs dial back some of the volume that drove their self-titled 2020 debut, making space for themes of self-reflection and painful change that cut through with sharpened clarity. Tempos slow and the instrumentation softens, but anxiety and grief crackle in even the most deceptively delicate moments. The luminous vocal harmonies, complex guitar interplay, and understated drumming that have been at the core of the band's sound remain foundational, but these four softly lit songs reach deeper, all the more stirring in their subtlety. Crossing Over represents a new phase of Sour Widows’ artistry, and points to even further growth with their soon-to-follow full length debut. The new forms taken on this EP document the band discovering a voice that derives its translucent power from restraint and intentionality.