Troye Sivan – TRXYE
Although only four years into it, this decade has witnessed a surge of fresh, “cool” and young artists creating music on software like Logic that has developed at an astonishing rate. Musicians nowadays have an incredible wealth of sounds and instruments at the click of a button and certainly production has never been more interesting or competitive. It would seem then that anyone with a musical inclination and access to computer can produce digital music for a digital age. Uploading to the net instantly for an audience as wide as you can fathom. The battle to stand out has changed shape and Troye Sivan’s debut EP positions him amongst the better and more unique acts.
It is hard to imagine that the baby-faced vlogger and child actor matches up with the mature voice present on TRXYE. Sivan has a beautiful tone to his voice (admittedly like a young Michael Bublé!) and while too many new artists fall into the trap of over-producing their vocals into obscurity, Sivan’s voice sits crisp and clear alongside an EP which is otherwise heavily produced. The finishing effect is often surprising and nearly always interesting.
Lead track Happy Little Pill is a dub-infused, r’n’b-fringed coil of pent-up adolescent longing and frivolity. This is pop music with punch and although not as refined, draws on the feeling of gloomy, shiny, melancholy that artists like Lorde have made their forte. The third cut from the EP Fun is a strong track that proves that Troye Sivan is not just the latest coolly packaged “it” thing but instead has substance and an ear for subtle, infectious melodies. Fun makes you nostalgic and a little sad, half singing along before you’ve even heard it once through.
Sivan makes no bones about his sexuality either. It’s as clear and as shameless as his silky, crystalline vocals. This is particularly commendable and progressive in a world where many top record labels gently encourage artists not to lie but to neutralise genders in lyrics in order to appease more fans. The fourth and most emotive track Gasoline incorporates the fantastic electro–tinged clang of the cold drums on Bjork’s Homogenic atop bright, sad piano. Sivan croons “set my heart on fire like gasoline”. An industrial lyric from an urban-sounding record that is very much modern music for modern ears. A fierce new talent and a promising EP.
Alex Jose
TRXYE was released on 15th August 2014, for further information or to order the album visit here.
Watch the video for Happy Little Pill here:
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