www.trancend.band [Release date 07.08.23]
No matter what you might say, some good things did come out of Lockdown. And whilst you scratch your head let me give you one positive: Trancend. The musicians behind this album (the three Maurus brothers) used to play in a death metal band but decided to follow – and widen – their muse in those dark days.
Frankly when they happened upon their vocalist Brittany LeAnn they had hit gold-dust. LeAnn was the perfect interpreter of their vision adding her lyrics, her wonderful vocal and melodies to their groovy, trip-hop beats.
This will be my guilty pleasure for some time to come and is a brilliant listen from start to finish. The opener ‘Landing’ sets the tone with its blend of syncopated guitar and synth music bed. ‘Meridian’ and ‘Do Something’ remind me a little of early-1990s Seal, the latter with a nice heavy ‘Rapture’-style (Blondie) backbeat.
‘Waves Of Rosetta’ is widescreen in ambition and suitably dramatic whilst ‘Flicker’ and ‘Breathe’ sum up the band’s eclectic mix of pop, prog and dance beats. ‘Blurred Lines’ has an almost Bond theme intrigue whilst ‘Ethereal’ allows LeAnn to expand into a jazz-pop vocal tour-de-force. Closing track ‘Green Yellow Lights’ is atmospheric and immersive like much of ‘Lilac’.
The band seem to be playing gigs around their home area of North Carolina and the schedule includes visits to the likes of Oklawaha Brewery and Southern Appalachian Brewing. What a wonderful combination. Craft ale and chill-out sounds!
One of the really great aspects of 20 years reviewing at GRTR! is that we are exposed to some lovely, niche albums and worthy artists that sit outside the mainstream. Good on them. But it would be criminal if this album didn’t reach a wider audience. ****1/2
Review by David Randall
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
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Power Plays w/c 15 April 2024
ENMY The Ledge (FiXT)
KAROBELA Get Hard (indie)
KATH & THE KICKS Neptune (indie)
THE BEE TELLERS River Poem (Black Sand Records)
LAUREN FREEBIRD Like A Bomb (indie)
Featured Albums w/c 15 April 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 KATARINA PEJAK – Pearls On A String (Ruf Records)
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