Trust Fund took me a couple listens to warm to. I like the unpolished style, and the vocals, when they harmonize, are great. They can get a little too precious sometimes, but then the majority of the time they’re pretty good, whether it’s a guitar buzzing with distortion, or the harmonized vocals, or even when whoever is taking the lead vocal really sings and doesn’t do the spoken thing. The way they sing in “Scared” is great, with the backing vocals, how they play off one another and stay on point when the song changes tempo. The horn that comes in around the middle of “No Pressure” makes the song! It adds a little extra character and emphasizes the morose tone of the song. The more I listen to their side, the more it grows on me. If they did a tour of playing only living rooms, I bet it would be great. I have to admit this is the first time I’ve listened to Joanna Gruesome, which only shows I’m lazy, as I tend to check out just about anything connected to Slumberland records. This is the kind of pop I really like. It’s tuneful, sugary sweet in parts, noisy, slightly jagged, and a combination of dreamy guitars and dreamy female vocals. “Jerome (Liar)” starts off their side very upbeat, then they transition into “Satan (Desire Edition)” which is downbeat and a touch noisier. I like the bit of distortion that is put on the vocals, and when the song suddenly picks up and gets a little heavier, I’m over the moon. The vocals on “Coffee Implosion” are perfect. Songs for listening to when winter starts to melt into spring. –Matt Average
