The New Trust - Dark is the Path Which Lies Before Us
Rating
RIYL
The DecemberistsThe Shins
The Hold Steady
Menomena
Tracklist
1. Spoiled Surprise, A Cheap Reveal2. Life of the Infidel Comes Crashing Down
3. Absence Makes the Heart Go Wander
4. Lost Language
5. Evolve into Nothing
6. There's Been a Terrible Accident
7. Holy Wars
8. Chill the Fuck Out
9. Wake Up, It's the Nineties
10. This Person Is a Palindrome
11. When the Dead Start Rising
12. Body and the Brain
13. You've Got to Be Fucking Shitting Me
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To be honest, I wasn’t sure quite what to expect from hometown heroes (if, like me, your hometown is Santa Rosa, CA) The New Trust with their second release on Slowdance Records. Their debut EP, released way back in 2003, was decent and all, but didn’t exactly make me a squealing groupie (this may or may not have something to do with the fact that founding guitarist Michael Richardson didn’t buy my Volvo after expressing great interest in doing so). But their latest full length (with new guitarist Matthew Izen on board) raises the bar countless notches. And yes, this time the co-ed indie rockers did manage to make some magic happen in this little heart of mine.
The first track, “A Spoiled Surprise, A Cheap Reveal” kicks thing off with a prominent and catchy bass line. As a bassist myself, it always warms my cockles to hear the low end of the stringed section get such a major role. And singer/bassist Josh Staples certainly knows how to bring the talent, with ever-present rock solid bass lines that mesh exceptionally with Julia Lancer’s drum beats, creating an almost tribal sense of rhythm. And while Staples’ unique voice may not be for everybody, no one can say he doesn’t work it into the songs like a seasoned pro (which he is, after a 7 year tour of duty with indie darlings The Velvet Teen).
Not content to let the rhythm section have all the fun, guitarists Sara Sanger and Matthew Izen do their part to heighten the material with hypnotic, noodle-y guitar lines that get stuck in your head when you least expect them to. With all these powerful and dynamic elements in place, The New Trust's songs certainly have the potential to be crushed under the weight of their own musicianship, but all that results is extraordinarily layered music, with impressive intricacies that may not be apparent at first but certainly make themselves known as familiarity grows.
The New Trust's songs are clearly not in the business of being simple verse/chorus/verse affairs. Parts vanish as quickly as they appeared, never to be heard from again. Moods change at the drop of a dime. Is it a whole new song or just a very different section? I found myself checking my stereo’s display constantly to answer that question. But it all comes together seamlessly, resulting in a powerful and solid collection of tracks. Dark Is The Path… is always going going going, never letting up; momentum is never sacrificed with a weak track or drastic style change. This is confident and accomplished musicianship, plain and simple.
--Jeff Latta
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