Trunk - Tembo (self-released)

I love nothing better than being presented with a band that makes me think about the music being made. I mean, really think. If a band is hard to tag, label, pigeonhole, or otherwise stick in a box, it is my sort of band. Nothing is new under the sun, and almost all music is made from recognizable strands, but when those familiar strands are woven into unique sonic architecture, then you have my attention. For all of these reasons and many more besides, I’m loving this, my first taste of Trunk.

I spend my days trying to find the right words to describe the bands that pass under my pen. Most of the time, it is easy, as one would-be pop diva, identikit indie band, deluded mumbly rapper, or childish metal band follows another, but bands such as Trunk and their new EP, Tembo, make me stop, think about things, listen more keenly, and write with more passion.

So, five tracks from Newcastle’s finest, as they will no doubt one day be called, and a collection of songs that weave together references such as 90s US college rock, underground pop and formative UK indie, which they then blend with the post-genre vibes of the current era.

“Blind Stare” seems to be tumbling over itself with effervescent energy, driving to get ahead of the beat, and is just being held in check enough by the band. “Shoot Me to the Sky” is built from shimmering and jangling guitars, alt-pop accessibility, and searing rock sonics. And “Mason Jar” is resonant and brooding, louche and languid, in the most brilliant of ways, like the emo sound finally grew up and stopped moaning about tidying its bedroom and proceeded to tackle more mature themes.

Trunk is the perfect band for the current age. They nod to the past but are wonderfully forward-thinking. They know where they come from but are music more interested in where they are going. In a world where the music seems to be produced by a painting-by-numbers approach, they are happy to mix colors into new sonic hues and aren’t worried about going over the lines.

If you want to know what post-genre music sounds like, this is it.

Website
Facebook
Spotify
Soundcloud
YouTube