The bursting synth-pop intro on “Peripheral” seamlessly transitions to a lush, lounge-y relaxer — a mellow bass line, caressing piano, and butter-smooth duet vocals leading the way. The synth emerge again at around 01:30, though by now “Peripheral” has established itself as a mellow groover and a showcase of Trivial Shields’ melodic prowess. The seductive brass in the finale solidifies the track’s entrancing qualities. The Oakland-based project of Christian Carpenter, Trivial Shields recently released the Peripheral EP, streaming in full below.
Per Trivial Shields, “Peripheral” is “a song for the broken-hearted; reflecting back on a relationship once central to their lives, to discover that the dynamic of the partnership was built much more from projected fantasies than mutual reciprocity.”
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“Peripheral” and other memorable tracks from this month can also be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of December 2018’ Spotify playlist.
