“Endure the fate you earn.“
Despite invoking sounds of pastures and records gone-by, Trauma Ray as a unit are a new force upon the shoegaze scene. First making their mark with a self-titled EP in 2018, the Texas group have made their way across American tours, and now moving towards UK tours this year alongside Citizen. Packing three guitars mades for a sound with its own gravity, which has lead them towards their debut full-length titled Chameleon. It’s an album which holds a presence unlike much else this year.
As both “Ember” and “Torn” enter in early on, what Trauma Ray have pieced together hits the ear with a graceful weight. It takes the crushing nature that Whirr brought to shoegaze with their finest work, yet the delicate and precise nature that Deafheaven mastered on Infinite Granite. What unfolds on these tracks feels comfortingly familiar, yet keenly progressive for the genre.
Post-hardcore elements bleed in on title track “Chameleon“, akin to what Modern Color dabbled in on tracks such as “Empty Rooms“, yet layered with Avilia’s melodic vocals that cut through the track in a majestic manner. It’s here where Chameleon locks in for the long-haul, as the likes of “Bishop” and “Breath” create an expansive landscape of Trauma Ray’s sound. Blasted harmonies across the three guitars create a compelling force within each strum that feels as potent as what was delivered on Slowdive‘s Just For a Day.
Before Chameleon lets the listener indulge too much in its warm and wonderful harmonies, “Spectre” enters to usher in moments of haunting introspection with Avilia casting out “Are you afraid of me?“. The repeated nature of this, alongside other lyrics, have the habitual nature of lonely thoughts, which is only bolstered by the deep, reverbed chords. Furthermore, “Flare” is a glistening interlude of tingling synths that leads Chameleon into its masterful final moments.
There is something in “ISO” that captures your attention in a wholly different manner than much of Chameleon, acting as something of a rush of introspection and energy before an inevitably beautiful conclusion. Much like the sunset at the end of a day, “ISO” represents something so subtle and familiar, yet so impactful. It holds all the pain, grief and emotion that Chameleon moves through, letting us observe one last time before being let go. Concluding with an extended cut of the record’s seven-minute closer, “U.S.D.S.O.S.” is something for the mind to get lost in and wonder beyond itself, proving absolutely majestic.
There’s an intangibility to Chameleon that is difficult to put into words. What is certain though, is that it moves between its soundscapes, emotions and influences with ease, creating something that more needs to be felt than observed. After repeat listens, what Trauma Ray have crafted here has proven to be nothing short of a modern classic in the shoegaze genre, that takes the listener on a journey that invokes a sense of introspection unlike much else out there.
8.5/10
Chameleon is out Friday 25th October via Dais Records, and can be pre-ordered here.