So, how to proceed? Travis Harrington asks on the final track of “Running From the Chase”, the commanding new album from Truth Club. How do you move forward when the present moment is rife with mounting challenges — when you’re caught between the weight of the past and the uncertainty of the future? “Running From the Chase” was written in part through a time of intense personal hardship for Harrington, but it was through these struggles he and his bandmates gained a deeper appreciation of the power of their shared creative endeavor, both the cathartic release found in the dynamic squall of their music and in the friendships forged by this communal pursuit. Their album doesn’t have an easy answer to Harrington’s searching question, but under these songs’ bruising exteriors, you can hear the sound of a band looking towards one another to learn how to move forward.
Truth Club’s “Exit Cycle” features Indigo De Souza, and that’s not even the best thing about it. Rhythmically concentric, the song loops in and around itself as world-weary vocals and low-frequency guitars create a sneakily propulsive sonic landscape. The tune is ruminative and exhausted, even funereal at times. It bathes in unanswered questions and uncertain pauses, floating on sweetly haunting backing vocals which hint to set the scene for the band’s second LP, “Running From The Chase”, which is set to arrive later this fall.
Throughout “Running From the Chase” — whose title alludes to the need to balance one’s individual desires with external expectations and pressures — Harrington’s lyrics plunge into despair and frustration, confronting possibilities with a hint of hope and a strong undercurrent of dejection. The result is an album that’s sweeping and sophisticated, balancing considered introspection with a stunning, newly expanded sound.
From Truth Club’s “Running From the Chase“, out October 6th, 2023 via Double Double Whammy
The Fat Angel Sings 