Posted: by The Alt Editing Staff
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Coming off the heels of their 2024 LP Chameleon, trauma ray are certainly stamping their name as one of the core members of the shoegaze scene. The Fort Worth Texas-based band have been developing their ethereal, yet gnarly, guttural sound since their debut 2018. Yet their latest EP, Carnival, has truly pushed their songwriting and sonic palette into a darker realm.
Beginning with the opening track “Carousel,” the tone is set immediately. With almost no guitar within the first seconds, the sound grows from a lighter, more atmospheric sound and drops quickly into a deep drone-like sound. The guitar tone is some of the best that trauma ray has put out. Cutting that drone-sound by plucking and strumming in a way that is haunting and borderline teasing. The guitar tone takes center stage, but also allows the track to breathe. As the track progresses, the guitar, and atmospheric sounds in the background dance around each other in a harmony. Towards the end of the track, the guitar quickly shifts from dream-like into a reverb-y distortion, which blends seamlessly into the next track “Hannibal.”
“Hannibal,” previously released as a single, is probably one of the heaviest tracks the band has released. Opening the track right out of the gates with a heavier, metallic riff that teeters between the nu-metal sounds of Deftones and grunge. The riffs get welcomingly balanced with the cutting drums. The drums really take off at around the 45-second mark, just as the vocals get introduced. Something that trauma ray does exceptionally well, is letting the vocals sit equally in the mix with the instruments. The vocals don’t just sit on top of the sound, it’s integrated into the riffs and rhythm of the track. One of the highlights of the track is the scaling back of the instrumentals mid-way through for the lyrics “trauma can be enough” to be broken down into its syllables. Commanding its presence as it escalades back into the chorus wailing “tell me why” as the hook. “Hannibal” truly sets the precedent for what this EP is going to be, a well orchestrated and beautifully arranged assortment of gnarly shoegaze.
“Melies” and “Funhouse” are great additions to the EP. Offering up some incredible guitar riffs that dive deeper into this darker, more metallic and gnarly tone that trauma ray are sporting throughout the EP. Both tracks highlight something that trauma ray does very well, which is not defacing the listener with a muddy wall of sound, but instead setting a baseline tone and letting the instrumentals sit on top of it like a foundation. The band clearly knows what their influences are and what they’re sonically pulling from without it feeling like a copy-cat or trying to mimic the sound of bands that came before. Instead, the band creates a unique blend of shoegazey tones, grimey, yet well rounded guitar riffs, and sharp drums and bass that help to anchor the tracks from getting washed out.
One of the standout tracks is the final track “Clown.” The opening riff is more playful than the previous four tracks. Keeping things fun and on theme with the EP title Carnival. On first listen, it evokes the feeling of a montage scene from an early 2000s emo film, teens drifting through hallways, headphones on, caught in their own world. The vocal performance stands out in particular, light and whispery, each syllable trembling through the guitars and drums like a cloud suspended over the mix.
Trauma ray have put their heads together to write some of their best work to date. They are stepping into their own and pulling all of their unique inputs into one hell of a songwriting team. The band is co-headling a tour this Spring with Glixen, and I cannot wait to see them perform this EP live.
Disappointing / Average / Good / Great / Phenomenal
Carnival is now out on Dais Records
Sarah Knoll | @slick_filmphoto