Trailer Trash Tracys – Ester

The debut LP from this London-based quartet is a well-realised take on ethereal, melancholic indie, which shoehorns diverse elements – 80’s-inspired drum programming, spattered bursts of free jazz, and tremolo-heavy guitar – into a surprisingly cohesive whole. The obvious sonic and atmospheric touchstones are Badalamenti and Lynch, but although Suzanne Aztoria’s vocals bear a passing resemblance to those of Julee Cruise, Trailer Trash Tracys build on that foundation to produce something distinctive.

Ester’s weak point is neither in the breadth of ideas here, nor the coherence of TTT’s kaleidoscopic soundscape; it’s rather in the slightly forgettable character of many of the songs. Things work most effectively when the clutter is stripped away, as on the narcotised, reverb-drenched lament of You Wish You Were Red, or the lurching, slow-mo synthpop of closer Turkish Heights. Elsewhere, their admirable desire to embellish the dreamlike atmospheres with more incongruous elements sometimes impedes things. [Sam Wiseman]