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BEYOND CODA
‘Parallel Acceptance’
EP Review

(13th January 2026)

Review by Audrey Songvilay

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There’s a quiet bravery in the way Justin Bell, the NZ-born artist behind Beyond Coda writes.

Mostly, about the things we rarely want to feel at all: loss that lingers, relationships that may not heal and the strange balancing act of being young and trying to feel okay.

Parallel Acceptance, a five-track EP, is the kind of project that sits with you. It’s introspective without folding in on itself, emotional without theatrics, and textured in ways that reveal something new on every listen. Beyond Coda threads acoustic roots, alternative rock edges, and singer-songwriter sincerity together with a confidence that feels earned.

The production is purposeful, and the songwriting is honest. Each track feels like a different room in the same house: familiar, yet revealing something new about the person sitting inside it.

Terrestrials

Parallel Acceptance opens in a kind of spectral half-light. “Terrestrials” drifts in with an eerie, atmospheric haze, kind of like a slow-forming storm cloud of reverb, moody textures, and anticipation. Then Bell’s voice cuts through, honest and warm, instantly grounding the track like a hand on the shoulder. What’s striking is the multi-layered production. Backing vocals aren’t decoration; they lift, cushion, and transform the song’s emotional landscape. What begins as something shadowy becomes unexpectedly uplifting, almost like watching the sky crack open after a long rainfall. It’s a subtle overture to the themes that define the EP: heaviness met with hope, fear held alongside acceptance.

Silent Canvas

“Silent Canvas” starts tentative, like it’s approaching the listener slowly. Gentle guitar strings wrap around a soft, steady tempo. It’s slow, but not still. Then Bell drops the line, “Oh to be young, brilliant and frequently burnt by the sun” and suddenly it’s clear this track isn’t just a reflection; it’s a reckoning.

There’s comfort woven into the melancholy, a sense that even the darkest rooms have corners of softness if you’re willing to sit long enough. Beyond Coda masters that duality here, turning emotional paralysis into something quietly cinematic. It’s one of the EP’s most reflective moments, a portrait of youth painted in dim but familiar colours.

Porcelain

If Parallel Acceptance has a centrepiece, or an emotional core the rest of the tracks orbit, it’s “Porcelain.”

The song enters delicately: soft piano keys. Then the guitar settles in, followed by string arrangements that bloom slowly, completely transforming the sonic palette. The layering is exquisite, not just sonically impressive, but emotionally intuitive. This is a track built for headphones and late-night overthinking.

Bell’s vocals carry a kind of longing that’s hard to name. It’s not heartbreak exactly; it’s something deeper, a pull toward understanding, toward connection. The harmonies blend so seamlessly, which sparks the thought that a future collaboration or duo could elevate his sound even further.

When he pleads, “Walk with me a little further, please,” it lands like a confession turned lifeline. And despite its fragility, the song feels uplifting, with the strings lifting the track into something almost luminous. “Porcelain” is Beyond Coda at his best: vulnerable, layered, and quietly arresting.

Silver Walls

After the emotional tidal wave of “Porcelain,” “Silver Walls” snaps the EP back into motion. It kicks in with strong drums, a confident, full-bodied heartbeat that immediately shifts the energy.

This is the most upbeat track of the project, and it gives Bell more space to lean into his alternative rock instincts. The momentum is refreshing, like stepping outside and realising the world is still spinning even when your mind isn’t. It’s a reminder that acceptance isn’t just reflective; sometimes it’s about getting up, moving forward, and letting rhythm pull you out of yourself.

Real Time

“Real Time” closes the EP the way all good endings should feel: tender, honest, unguarded. A soft piano intro lays the foundation, and Bell’s vocals arrive fragile in a way that feels intentional, not weak. There’s longing here, unmistakable and raw, but never hopeless.

Then the track slowly rises. A beat kicks in. Layers unfold. What begins as introspection swells into something almost triumphant. It mirrors the emotional arc of the entire EP: acknowledging the ache, then choosing to keep walking anyway.

Parallel Acceptance is cohesive and emotionally articulate. It’s intimate without shrinking itself, bold without losing its gentleness. The songwriting taps into universal themes of loss, mental health, self-reflection, and relationships. But what makes the EP powerful is its humanity. It feels lived-in. It feels like truth.

Across five tracks, Beyond Coda builds a world where heaviness co-exists with healing, where fragility becomes strength, and where acceptance isn’t a grand revelation but a quiet, continuous choice. After listening to this EP, once it’s over, you find yourself craving one more listen. Not to understand it better, but to feel it again.

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Follow BEYOND CODA
Instagram – Spotify – Apple Music

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AMNPLIFY – DB