Music can be a great place to hide, but sometimes the most powerful songs are the ones that force us to face what we would rather keep buried. Dublin singer-songwriter Lex Bucha takes that approach on Dark Mode, his five-track second EP, delivering a deeply personal collection that explores emotional struggles, complicated relationships, and the process of finding a way forward when life gets heavy.
Following his debut EP, Painless Mode, released in July 2025, Lex Bucha, also known as Alexander Keech, takes his sound into moodier territory. Electronic production, atmospheric textures and vulnerable songwriting come together across a project that feels more immediate and emotionally exposed. There is still room for melodic pop, but this time the shadows are a little closer, and the stories carry plenty of weight.
At the centre of the EP is “Pill”, the focus track and arguably its most personal moment. Drawing from his own experiences, Lex explores depression, anxiety and the role medication played during a particularly difficult period in his life. He describes a time when he felt trapped in a mental black hole, with taking his antidepressant medication becoming one of the few things he could concentrate on.
That honesty gives “Pill” its emotional significance. Rather than treating mental health as an abstract subject, Lex writes from the perspective of someone who has experienced the struggle firsthand. The song reflects the thoughts and feelings that can take over during difficult periods, creating a portrait of vulnerability that feels both intimate and recognisable. It is not an easy subject, but the willingness to confront it makes the track stand out.
The EP’s emotional world extends beyond its focus track, with each song exploring a different kind of inner conflict. “Paranoid” takes listeners into the unsettling aftermath of broken trust, where anxiety and isolation begin to affect the way someone sees themselves and the people around them. There is a sense of being caught in a cycle of doubt, making the song an absorbing look at how emotional wounds can distort our understanding of reality.
Then there is “Faithless (Sacrifice)“, which approaches personal struggle from a more defiant angle. Inspired by experiences in Lex’s own life, the track examines the moment when you decide to stop allowing other people’s expectations or past actions to dictate your future. Blending pop, R&B, and electronic elements, it carries a sleek, shadowy atmosphere while maintaining a strong melodic pull. There is a certain satisfaction in hearing a song turn hurt into determination, and Lex gives that transformation plenty of character.
“Watch Me Fall” brings another shade of emotion to the collection, with its theme of quiet resignation adding to the EP’s sense of vulnerability. Rather than presenting one straightforward story of overcoming adversity, Dark Mode allows different feelings to coexist. Sometimes there is defiance, sometimes uncertainty, and sometimes the difficult acceptance that not every situation can be fixed immediately.
The closing track, “Sweet Pain“, introduces a different kind of emotional tension. Exploring the challenges of long-distance relationships, the song considers what happens when love remains strong despite the distance and circumstances separating two people. There is longing in its story, but also a determination to protect something meaningful. Its heavier, rock-leaning direction adds another dimension to Lex’s sound, showing that his emotional pop sensibilities can stretch into different musical territory without losing their core.
That variety is one of the EP’s strengths. Dark Mode does not remain locked into a single production style. Electronic elements and spacious textures sit alongside more stripped-back moments, while melodic indie-pop meets darker arrangements. The music follows the changing moods of the songs, allowing the production to support the stories rather than forcing every track into the same shape.
It also feels like a natural development for an artist who has been steadily finding his own identity. Before releasing music under his own name, Lex wrote for other artists across Europe. His move into performing his own material began in 2024 with a duet alongside his friend and frequent collaborator Orla Monelle, setting him on the path towards establishing himself as an independent voice within Ireland’s music scene.
With Painless Mode introducing his artistic world in 2025, Dark Mode builds on that foundation by revealing a more intense and personal side of his songwriting. The shift is not simply about making darker music. It is about being willing to explore uncomfortable experiences and turn them into songs that other people can connect with.
What makes the EP engaging is that its personal nature never prevents listeners from finding their own meaning in it. Depression, broken trust, difficult relationships, and the struggle to take control of your life may look different for everyone, but Lex approaches these subjects with enough openness to leave room for recognition and reflection.
Dark Mode is a compelling step forward for Lex Bucha, balancing atmospheric production with honest storytelling and a willingness to explore the messier sides of being human. Across five tracks, he moves between vulnerability, frustration, defiance, and longing, building a project that feels emotionally connected even as its sound shifts. It may be his darker chapter, but there is something constructive in that darkness: the chance to understand difficult experiences by giving them a voice.
Lex Bucha turns personal struggles into a compelling five-track journey on Dark Mode
