Paul Newman
Only Love Can Break Your Heart
Trance Syndicate
One of the nicest surprises. Four talented musicians lay down seven mostly lengthy tracks consisting of quiet, patiently evolving songs that sometimes build to moments of slight outburst. Actually, they’re not so much quiet as they just aren’t loud. The songs unfold at a pleasant volume. Mature instrumentation comprised of mostly clean guitars, nice bass, interesting drums, all coming together in the perfect way. Space is used nicely as well, allowing notes to drift a little and parts to play out at their own pace. Vocals are few and far between, but they’re not missed. The songs are crafted with care and the essentials are included as they need to be. Better not to force vocals when none are needed. More testimony to the fact that quiet and instrumental does not equal dull.
The last track, “The New Goth,” reveals a bit of their alter ego, with dissonance and driving rhythm. They succeed just as well at this style. Quiet an interesting band.
Trance Syndicate, P.O. Box 49771, Austin, TX 78765
