Trails

At times delicate, and at times deafening, the music of Trails, a four piece dream-rock group out of Purchase, NY sidesteps lazy genre labels. Eavesdropping on Neil Halstead, J. Mascis, Neil Young and Jerry Garcia sharing an “evening ritual” on a muggy summer's night may be a good place to start. Emerging from the thick cloud of unmentionable smoke that envelops SUNY Purchase in late 2007, what began as the bedroom psych pet-project of producer/vocalist/multi-instrumentalist RJ Gordon soon began to take living, breathing shape. After conceiving two records of dense, cavernous psych-pop, Gordon recruited fellow Purchase students Justin Maldonado (Bass/Guitar/Vocals) and Yoni David (Drums/Percussion) to aid in translating the tunes into a live setting. A long time friend of Gordon's, Guitarist/Vocalist Dylan Smith joined the group just in time for sophomore effort Christmastime Comes' release in Feb. 2009, completing the current lineup. Described by Purchase blogger My Son Cool as “fuzzy, sweet, shoegaze-y, pretty huge, gigantic guitars...cemented with a huge bass,” the record further developed the dark, washy, mystic vibe that had permeated the band's live shows. Whether channeling Laurel Canyon in the late sixties or London in the early nineties, their music strives to transport the listener to an ethereal space where the wide eyed are welcomed with open arms. They are currently working on a split 7” and a third full length, marking their first truly collaborative recording efforts thus far.