TRUNKS – We Dust
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The French quintet Trunks, hailing from Rennes in the Brittany region of France, has been absent for quite some time. Their last album On The Roof was released back in 2011, making it a twelve-year wait for their follow-up We Dust. While the band may not be the most prolific, they have certainly proven that quality trumps quantity. French newspaper Libération dubbed Trunks a supergroup of Rennes musicians, a title that might hold more weight for locals. However, vocalist Laetitia Shériff's blossoming solo career has undoubtedly put her on the radar, and guitarist Florian Marzano of indie noise rock band We Only Said, and saxophonist Daniel Paboeuf, formerly of seminal French post-punk band Marquis De Sade, are also names that might ring a bell. We Dust showcases a potent blend of noise rock, post-rock, and jazz across its eight tracks. The album's first half is particularly captivating, opening with the single Les belles choses, showing Trunks at their most accessible. This pleasant, melodic indie rock track evokes the nineties sounds of bands like Sonic Youth and Blonde Redhead. Edgeways, the following track, takes a more aggressive turn with chopped rhythms and vocals that verge on screaming. Norbor, an instrumental piece, gives the saxophone more room to shine, revealing the band's jazzy side, perhaps drawing parallels to Morphine, if they had ever ventured into the realm of guitars. Blood On Poppies, a hypnotic track with spoken-word vocals, builds an immense amount of tension, culminating in a second half where the guitars take center stage. This song bears a resemblance to Blume by Einstürzende Neubauten, which should be taken as a compliment. The second half of the album features generally shorter tracks. Memotrunks, a quasi-instrumental piece, is introspective and features beautiful deep saxophone and flute or mellotron parts, with the vocals subtly woven into the ethereal atmosphere. O B O, another instrumental, is a bold choice given the presence of such a gifted vocalist as Laetitia Shériff, but it serves as a reminder of her prowess on the bass guitar. The album concludes with What Is Fantasy and What Is Real, two tracks that seem to go hand in hand, bringing the record to a fitting close with haunting sounds that leave you yearning for more. Indeed, sometimes less is more, and while We Dust is Trunks' shortest album to date, it is also their best. They have distilled their ideas into eight concise tracks that strike the perfect balance between noise, post-rock, and jazz, resulting in a unique sound that deserves to be explored by fans of sophisticated indie rock. It may take a few listens to fully appreciate, but once it clicks, you'll be more than delighted. |
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8 songs |
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36:13 minutes |
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***** **** |
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Genre: noise rock / post rock / jazz Label: Il Monstro |
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