Sara Rae has taken the key to the secret room of her emotions and wasn’t afraid to open that door for us with her debut EP Passenger Side. The record consists of four tracks, where love doesn’t equate to happiness, and joy isn’t the only feeling. Each song hits hard — direct, raw, and at times almost painful, as if she deliberately chose to expose all the conflicting emotions that lurk within us.

photo by DIANA DUMI

Passenger Side sits somewhere between the raw truth of punk-pop and the refined melancholy of alt-rock. There’s no artificial polish in this debut that we often see in emerging artists. The record carries a bold energy and madness, its sound feeling as though we’re all standing on the edge, balancing between what we think, what we feel, and how we express it.

As for the concept, the first two tracks immediately immerse you in a whirlwind of love — that feeling when even the briefest millisecond glance from another person seems to pull you out of reality. There’s tenderness here, a touch of childlike innocence, but also an unsettling sense that it could all fall apart. Sara Rae masterfully plays with this balance, infusing her music with contrasts, and her vocals reflect that — at times carefree, at times intense.

But towards the end of the EP, everything changes. The third and fourth tracks upend the sweet illusion she has been carefully building. Here, the focus shifts to jealousy, anger, and the pettiness we often fail to notice in ourselves but which inevitably surfaces when love begins to fracture. In this part, Rae shows she isn’t afraid to explore the darker corners of human nature. Passenger Side is a cohesive story about what it means to be human, to suffer from love, and yet to crave it all the same, no matter the cost.

The EP opens with a powerful track — the title song Passenger Side. This indie pop-rock burst feels like an emotional explosion: vivid, captivating bass lines and drums that instantly set the pace, while Sara Rae’s vocals soar effortlessly above it all with a natural strength. It’s as if love itself had a sound — a flash of light, energy, and warmth that turns a simple moment into something overwhelming. Inspiring and sincere, this track sets a high bar for the rest of the EP.

photo by DIANA DUMI

Meet Me There follows this path but takes a different turn — moving from indie to a more commercial pop-rock sound. The arrangement is breath-taking with its lightness and swaying rhythm, and once again Sara’s vocals reveal another side of her — here she feels a little more open, vulnerable, yet still confident. This track is like a warm light — it envelops you and fills the atmosphere with something indescribable, as if something deeply personal is hidden between the lines, something about a love that’s hard to put into words.

The EP doesn’t stop at simply playing with emotions — it goes deeper. The variety of styles and tones becomes evident as Passenger Side shifts toward darker, more shadowy waters in the second half. This is where Sara Rae isn’t afraid to talk about anger, jealousy, and loss. Here, she dims the lights, leaving us alone with those emotions we usually keep hidden.

Wish You Well is a standout example of this darker atmosphere. A touch of vocal processing gives it a modern commercial sheen, but its punk-rock energy is still palpable. It’s a track that compels you to move — it bursts out, stirs up emotions, and doesn’t let go. It’s as if she’s shouting, “Let it all out!” It’s perfect for those moments when you need to throw your own emotional party and just let your feelings loose.

The EP closes with Miss Us — a track that seems to nod to ‘90s rock. It’s the final chapter, where all the hidden emotions come pouring out. Sara’s voice grows even stronger, and you can feel her moving through all the stages of pain, until she reaches something resembling acceptance. In the final moments of Miss Us, there’s a softness, a sense of calm that wraps around you. It’s as though, after all the storms inside, peace finally arrives, and you realize that moving forward is the only way.

Sara Rae dissects emotions like she’s studying them under a microscope: in her hands, love isn’t an idealized image, but something real, raw, and sometimes painful. Even the title Passenger Side offers an interesting parallel: being on the passenger side means not having full control, watching as someone else drives you forward. Love, in its most complicated forms, often feels like that — as if you’re sitting next to it, just watching as it speeds ahead, making you both enjoy the moment and fear that it might spiral out of control.

Sara Rae leaves us in the passenger seat, observing and feeling, sometimes with joy, sometimes with unease, wondering where this ride will take us. And the end? Well, just like on any road of love, it’s still ahead — and maybe we won’t know it until we make another turn.

*This article was made possible by BTD Sounds PR