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Following on from the release of Alligator last November, Brisbane alt rock outfit TRAILS take a brighter tone on their exceptional second single Borderline.
If you were smiling for TRAILS’ Alligator, then you’ll be loving their new single Borderline. Straddling the space between epic rock and intimacy, it’s another winner for the band.
Another excellent example of the chemistry between the band’s creative forces, there’s still plenty of bombast which defines the group’s signature alt rock sound. But in contrast to what has come before Borderline’s delicate riffs and warmer sonic textures showcase an overall gentler side to TRAILS’ music.
Jangly guitar licks and laid back rhythm patterns are underscored by flowing synths and melancholic vocals which instil the track with a bitter sweetness. Soaring vocal deliveries oscillate between despair and transcendent euphoria, never missing an emotive beat. In terms of production the group continue to excel at capturing their towering rock sound and balancing a complex array of intricate instrumental layers.
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“We were looking for a bouncy poppy song, something lighter in tone that would get people bopping,” says frontman Tyler Shilling. “Our music tends to be headed in that direction as a whole so it’s a good introduction to some of our newer tracks,” he continues. “I wrote the guitar line with bands like Sticky Fingers in mind; trying to achieve a kind of effortless surf-slacker style riff,” Shilling adds reflecting on the track’s jazzy fretwork.
Elaborating on the narrative of the track the frontman adds “I usually start off looking for phrases that sound good, and then working backwards to achieve a story. Borderline’s story is of a guy being roped into someone else’s problems, being stuck and basically projecting his feelings of anger and annoyance for having been fucked over by another person. I think most people can relate to that.”
Borderline marks a further development in the evolution of TRAILS’ musical profile, building anticipation for what will no doubt be an electrifying debut EP. TRAILS will be supporting genre-hoping Sydney outfit Slumberhaze at Brisbane’s Milk Factory on March 4.
