Last year, when we first stumbled across the debut single from Shy Troy, we were immediately entranced by his woozy, narcotised brand of music. In a very short amount of time, the Melbourne artist carved out a very unique space for himself within the world of alternative hip-hop; it’s dirty and direct, but also quite far-reaching.
Now, with the release of his debut EP, Lavender, he continues to build his immersive sonic universe. If you’re not already across this artist, now’s the perfect time for you to change that.
On his debut EP Lavender, Melbourne-based artist Shy Troy crafts a conceptually-focused slice of genre-bending brilliance.
All throughout the new EP, Shy Troy glides through a hypnotic concoction of hip-hop, alt-rock, folk, lo-fi pop, and psychedelia, delivering something distinctly his own. With effortless vocal delivery, hallucinatory production, and lyricism that flips seamlessly between wit and gut-wrenching honesty, Lavender is brimming with imagination and inventiveness.
Across the EP’s seven tracks, Troy examines the intersection between relationships and creative processes, conjuring dark mindsets and internal conflicts. At its heart, Lavender is a concept EP, with each element—both sonically and lyrically—feeding into an overarching musical vision. Subtle guitar flourishes and druggy keyboard lines swirl into mesmeric soundscapes, forming the perfect bed for Troy’s conceptually-focused lyricism.
The EP’s closing track, Lavender (Outro), will pull you into a surreal collage of film snippets, summarising the driving themes of the EP. By the time the track reaches its final moments, you’ll be left completely swept up in Shy Troy’s whirlpool of sounds.
These may still be early days for this Melbourne artist, but judging by the quality of everything we’ve heard so far, I think we can safely expect plenty more great tunes. In the meantime, do yourself a favour and listen to the new EP above.
