Album Review: Carving Back The Light

The debut album Carving Back The Light by Trepidations is based around the narrative in Chapter Sixty-Six of the novel Lavengro, by George Borrow.

Recorded live at King Studio in Tamaki Makaurau, this artistic masterpiece is a sensory feast encapsulating the melancholy and emotional baring of the soul expressed in Borrow’s writing.

Technical yet pretension-free musicianship is a staple throughout the album, romping through various alt-rock styles which have an overall link to punk. The lyrics are a poetic description of the human condition in all its vulnerability.

The opening track Life is a no-holds-barred launch straight into the band’s signature punk sound and lyrical themes. There are strong hints of GBH or Exploited in the chord progressions and chromatic guitar slides as well as something akin to the classic Flying Nun sound. The snarky, snarly vocals are a great introduction to the singing style which keeps throwing out delightful surprises as the album progresses.

The intros to the songs are varied and shift effortlessly into other musical styles. A great example of this is Sold!, beginning with a compositional element that reminds me vaguely of Elvis’ Heartbreak Hotel then changing efficiently into a distortion laden style reminiscent of punk pioneers the Ramones. “Going once, Going twice, going three times… Sold!” These lyrics are a vivid description of how I feel about the album at this point.

Songs 101 and Invisibility are a sublime blend of genres, between them showcasing sounds that remind me of The Cramps, Metallica and the wild chaotic solos we heard in 70’s blues rock bands.

The biggest surprise and delight of this album is the 25-and-a-half-minute long finale Chapter Sixty-Six. Including a song this long could be thought of as indulgent, however I think that bandmates Will, Heath and Jared have nailed it. Considering that my strongest musical leanings are towards two-minute-long punk songs I was, quite frankly, astonished to find that I had the staying power not only to last the distance but also to want to hear it again. This instrumental ending to the album invoked nostalgia for the parties I went to in my twenties where we would all sit around a fire in the evenings on old couches in someone’s backyard listening to Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds soundtrack. I can picture myself in the future, sitting in an ambiently lit room on a rainy night, sipping Pinot Noir and letting my mind go on a ‘Trip’ while listening to this epic soundscape.