The other day I was browsing the internets and saw a conversation unfolding about a new synthpop album that had just leaked. So I did what I always do when confronted with music that is totally strange and unfamiliar: I downloaded it with no questions asked and listened to it right away.
Fans of Crystal Castles’ 2010 album Crystal Castles II will dig this record. It’s a very haunted type sound of synthpop that is less abrasive than CC, but darker and almost gothic in some respects (the OG 80′s goths, not the Hot Topic types). Trading off between male and female vocals allows Trust to get into some territory that is off limits to CC, who would much rather explore what putting Alice Glass through five Big Muffs and a TS-9 will sound like instead of having Ethan try a vocal track or two. Not that that’s a bad thing…
TRST is limited emotionally as an album, as the predominant and only mood here would be best described with the word gloomy. Even the faster and more uptempo tracks have a slow and dreary vocal delivery. I wouldn’t listen to this one on the way to a party. The best track is probably Gloryhole, as nasty as that sounds. Great track, filthy and disgusting name for it. This encapsulates the entire experience: Not all music goes for making the listener happy, and this album is effective at provoking negative emotions, all while having the listener recognize that this is, in fact, quality electronica. Also, the less said about the album cover, the better.
Three Halls out of five Oates, and a caveat: don’t drink and listen. Bad things might happen.
