Ōtautahi-based indie rock artist Mim Jensen began her solo career in 2018, and her discography since blends the raw and melancholic with dreamy and soft, creating a highly relatable, deeply emotive soundtrack for the life of any teenage wāhine across the country lucky enough to stumble across her music.

‘The Muse’ is her second EP in two years, and feels like a natural next step from her 2025 collection, ‘Shadow Of The Gift’, which was softer and more youthful. Jensen’s distinct sound was already clear in those songs recorded with Christchurch’s Will McGillivray (Goodwill), and it is developed upon in this EP which was produced and mixed by De Stephens.

‘The Muse’ is full of distorted guitar, vocals layered with reverb and haunting melodies, low-pass piano and guitar to evoke a soft, nostalgic atmosphere, and lyrics full of yearning and the pain of loving.

Exploring emotions from the beginning to end of an intense relationship, the 6-track EP also covers a range of genres. The featured songs span stripped-back, low-pass instrumentals with ethereal vocals and harmonies á la Adrienne Lenker, to grungier (Sidekick), and more shoegaze leaning songs such as The Mask and opener Track Star, which almost sounds influenced by later Radiohead.

The tracks are recorded impeccably, with guitars punching through the mix, the drums sharp and crisp, and the vocals complementing them – though her voice does get lost occasionally, with some lyrics hard to make out. A shame as there’s clearly been a lot of thought and emotion put into them.

There’s still a clear story being communicated in ‘The Muse’, one of the struggles of figuring out love, and the varied instrumentation reflects that. The guitar bends, raw, powerful vocals, and even the beautiful piano in the last track To Love Is (To Face The Heartbreak To Come).

Overall this is a masterful, emotional addition to Jensen’s discography, and seems the natural evolution of her sound, the incorporation of more introspective elements an exciting added dimension. It’s a beautiful mix of indie rock, folk and some grungier musicianship, allowing her expressive and versatile voice to shine.