Led by singer-songwriter Dave Macleod, London-based project trainboy succeeds with a heartfelt, jangly allure on new album I Am Not Myself. Following the success of the Stay Inside EP, this collection draws on a rich lineage ranging from The Velvet Underground and Orange Juice to contemporary acts like Snail Mail and DIIV. Blending ’90s Britpop energy with bedroom-pop nostalgia, the memorable release pairs reflective, offbeat lyricism with a lush, jangly guitar aesthetic.
The project has caught our ears with multiple releases the past year, including single “Green Tea” and the Stay Inside EP. That charming, guitar-driven lo-fi single is amongst the many highlights on I Am Not Myself, as well. Stay Inside also featured numerous album standouts, including I Am Not Myself opener “Handbags,” which is especially magnetic in its mixture of twinkling keys, twangy guitars, and backing vocal harmonies.
Another excellent track, “Gravity” stirs in its progression from amiable jangly pop into thumping, fierce rhythmic propulsions. “Everything is jumbled up,” a nonchalant vocal presence follows, references to fantasizing and escapism moving into a “stay for awhile” reassurance. trainboy continuously showcases an ability to craft hooks with intertwining vocal layers and melodic guitars, and “Gravity” is a great example of such — with its clap-laden rhythmic presence also lending well to the warm mix.
“Take Your Time” stands out as well, its “you remind me of myself” vocal introspections unfolding amidst peppy strums and jangly guitar caressing. Elsewhere, “Perfect World” is a stellar finale, its musings on a flawed world and failures melding with more lovely vocal layers and twanging guitar bursts. I Am Not Myself continues to cement trainboy as an act capable of consistently fantastic, jangly songwriting.
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We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
