Open chord guitar and warm synth start the single in a typical indie manner. The poetry that fills the space is earnest and serious, beaconing the listener to keep up. When the small drum machine picks up you feel a sense of relief. References to travel, reflections and an illusive love are all present again, but don’t feel too overused. This new wave punk group from the cold northern United States summates distraction with effortless ease. Getting lost is something lots of artist spend time talking about. But somehow you believe the imagery Partial Traces lay out before you. There's trains and bodies of water that the listener should already be aware of. There is a cool 80’s ghost synth vibe that the band has perfected over the years. The sound wave increases in size from a spoken word intro into a whaling anthem that never repeats its self. It feels like a letter to someone you used to know. Something like diving into the ocean without hope of coming back up.
The B-side is a little slower, somber and more piano heavy than the A side. Its imagery looks like filtered morning light in a place you’ve only ever seen at night. The exposed flaws show through a newness and the familiarity comforts simultaneously. The same ghostly punk sound couples well with the ballad stylings the band exhibits. Ocean imagery gives a long feeling to the reverberating vocals. The drums are played by a live human but often take on a drum machine quality. The baritone vocals might not be for everyone, but if you’re willing to take the trip with Partial Traces they’ll commit and dive down deep with you on board. There is death and sadness here in bundles larger than most can afford to farm. If you can tap into the energy and not get lost, you’ve got a chance at a transcendent experience.
Start quiet, get loud is an old idea but when Maren Macosko does it you don’t mind it much. The Soviettes were an amazing leaderless harmonizing punk group from a few years back; it bares mentioning that Partial Traces include members of that incredible band. All this is to say that a very high level of song writing is taking place here, and your emotions are in the band’s hands. Getting away from the everyday and into a dreamscape is often the goal of creatives. Partial Traces are no different and find beauty in losing themselves now and then. So listen with caution because all Partial Traces songs fuck with your heart string a little. Its a bit like something you’d hear coming out of a t-top in a high school parking lot. A ballad that doesn’t need its audience, as much as the audience needs the ballad. Desperation can be felt in the calm parts of the song. Full moon and shadows echo in delay and warm synth drums come in late to smooth over the space before a bridge that feels like the spoken word from the first track. An instrumental break make me realize how important the vocals are to my enjoyment of this group.
The outro is only vocals, repeating the same phrase soaked in reverb. A space age motif is employed and the single ends with oscillating synths.
