Trash Pals – “Sonya”

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Los Angeles-based duo Trash Pals present an easy-going, melodic rock sound on “Sonya,” continuing a consistent ethos of “accepting change,” within the band’s material. The duo of Conor Rayne and Gabriel Schnider showcase their multi-instrumental and songwriting talents on this track, which emphasizes the power of music in evoking memories and emotions — told via the narrative “of a young woman who falls asleep in her seat at a concert despite spending a hefty amount on her ticket.”

Sonya experiences the music on stage with an ambiguous intrigue — as we’re left to ponder her reason for being there. As the band writes: “Is she there because the songs remind her of her mother? Is it her mother singing them to her from the stage? Or are these songs her mother once sang to her, long ago?” The narrative fits artfully within the overall thematic aim within the track, which is a “response to others’ external discomfort with one’s own ways of processing change.”

Twangy guitars and laid-back vocals open with refreshing qualities, as sporadic guitar pulses arise as “she’s falling asleep.” Harmonious vocal layers and thumping bass ascend into the re-emergence of perky guitars, following the references to Sonya’s mother. “Sonya” is a strongly memorable success from Trash Pals, full of thematic emotion and breezily melodic engagement.

This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.

Mike Mineo

I'm the founder/editor of Obscure Sound, which was formed in 2006. Previously, I wrote for PopMatters and Stylus Magazine.

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