There is a weird sonic dichotomy that lies at the heart of Love Object, the latest EP from Trash Pals. And it is this. Their music has a real dance quality to it whilst being made up of abrasive and raw sonic building blocks. The grooves are accessible, even as they wander between upbeat buoyancy and downbeat darkness. But whichever way they are travelling, they beckon you to move, to sway, to throw some shapes, to flip your wig, cut a rug, or whatever the kids call it these days, not necessarily quickly, but you can’t help but react. Brutalist, slow-core, indie-dance? Why not?
The opener, Everything You Do, is the perfect example of their strange sonic world. Mellow to the point of mournful, world-weary yet somehow infectious, the lyrics express similar conflicting thoughts as it runs from shambling beats to searing guitars, down-tempo meanderings to chiming synths.
Specter is also an odd blend of oppressive grunge sonics and more accessible sounds, somehow feeling celebratory from within its framework of darkness, an up vibe in a musical world of down. It is only when we get to What I Want that the duo of Conor Rayne and Gabe Schnider seem to succumb to their indie-rock desires and play a straighter hand. Even then, it still has that ironic balance of muscle and melody, intrigue and outsiderness that coloured the college rock scene of the 90s.
Sunrise wraps things up with a blend of lush, shimmering guitars and grating rhythms, somehow claustrophobic and euphoric in equal measure.
It’s a strange EP. But that’s a good thing, right? Strange is non-conformist. Strange is unaware of fad or fashion. Strange is off-beat, off-the-wall and off-kilter. Strange is rule-breaking and genre-hopping. So when I say this is a strange EP, I mean it in the kindest and most creative way.