Trust

                                                             TRST

                                                            8.6/10

                                                         iPod Worthy 

Trust are a small Canadian duo that have pretty much perfected a version of synth pop that makes me feel things I want to feel. The band has released a few singles here and there over the past few years but now Robert Alfons and Maya Postepski have finally released their proper full length debut, TRST — a collection of dark, sexy and dramatic songs that are tightly bound together making a cohesive, pure and stanch record.

When listening to TRST it is easily to understand what the band is trying to appeal to. The powerful synths and the absolutely weird but addicting voice of Alfons blow your ears with a gritty, slick and haunting aesthetic. The New York, German, London or even Canada (Toronto, Montreal etc.) S&M, leather, dirty sex club scene from the late 70s/80s oozes out of these songs. Right from the get-go, the opening track “Shoom” makes you want to slip into tight black skinny jeans, slip on a pair of black military boots, throw on a leather jacket and see where the night takes you. “Bulbform,” which was released sometime ago, is a huge stand out as well. Techno-ish synths zig zag behind hellish loops and of course Alfons’ eerie voice that sounds like it escaped from a demon making the track full-circle. 

Then we have the most sexually charged cut, “This Ready Flesh.” The best part of this song is when Postepski takes a stab at a verse and sexily chants, “There’s a little wondering rat/ In the photographic ally/ He’s walking through the streets/ Going to the bar/ What’s he looking for?/ What’s he looking for?” She then launches into the chorus “You don’t believe in nothing.” Another standout is the band’s lead single and closing track “Sulk.” Wavy synths play with jagged synths while Alfons’ moans cruse through the track. It has an incredible melody and finishes the album off wonderfully. 

Almost every song offers something special, like the hypnotic “Candy Walls,” the dancy “Dressed for Space” and the jam “Heaven.” I really only have two criticisms here: Some listeners may find that the tracks sound too same-y but after a few hard listens to the record, they’ll realize there is a lot going on than just a few synths slapped together. I also wish Alfons and Postepski would work the boy-girl vocals a lot more just from the one cut, it showed it really came through as a huge success. Nevertheless, TRST often times sounds like Trust listened to Lady Gaga’s “Government” hooker and just ran with that mind-blowing sound. The duo’s debut LP is a dark and sleek record that achieves what it sets out to do and does it very, very well.

Listen to the single, “Sulk” below: