Trial Tapesis the synth tinged indie rock project of Liverpool-based queer songwriter and producer Jack McNally. It`s ingrained in a period of radical personal change, the music emerged during a reflective stretch between 2022 and 2024, a time McNally describes as “both euphoric and quietly transformative”.
After returning to Liverpool after over a decade in Brighton, newly out of the closet and starting from scratch, he began writing songs as a way to process his new world. What began as a cathartic experiment in self-affirmation soon evolved into an obsessive daily ritual; birthing the genre-blurring sound of Trial Tapes.
The name Trial Tapes nods to a few origin points: an early desktop folder labelled “Trial Takes,” a BBC documentary (AIDS: The Unheard Tapes), and the tactile charm of recording vocals onto cassette. What unites them is a sense of experimentation and a desire to preserve something real and meaningful.
This five tracker opens with `Slowpoke` which initially I thought referred to some kind of sexual practice, which probably tells you more about me but it`s maybe just about a slowcoach, the poke part of slowpoke comes from a rare meaning, “a device attached to pigs and sheep to keep them from escaping,” and is also the root of pokey, or “slow.” The accompanying music is delightfully languid quite slacker and wonderfully enticing. The addition of handclaps , a chirping bird sound and shook tambourine added a further attractive je ne sais quoi about the track. There`s a detached awakening to `42` before it becomes a lot more rhythmic and driving with some interesting synthy kind of bleeps on route. The Ancient Egyptians believed that 42 demons were present at the judgment of the soul and according to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the number 42 is supposedly the reason for existence itself. Here it`s maybe as simple as a comparison of ages between potential partners possibly.
The oddly titled ‘Coughing Fits’ brought to mind for me an almost speeded up and slightly electronically altered version of `Unchained Melody`, nevertheless it`s an appealing earworm of a number. There`s a delicious ethereal vibe to `Leopard Print Skulls` which are usually decorative, stylised skull figurines or artistic designs featuring a leopard spot pattern covering the entire bone structure. Primarily used for home decor, they act as bold, alternative fashion statements designed to represent a “wild side” which probably sums up this offering.
We bow out with `Sliding` which kind of rolls along fairly rhythmically before veering off into a trippy fragment before resuming its original path. An interesting alluring composition that is both surreal and fascinating in equal measure. Jack adds his own endearing “ba ba ba” harmonies on route along with some fuzzy guitar riffs The tracks on `Trial Tapes` were recorded largely in isolation but the artist is now joined live by a full five-piece band, Cormac Gould (keys), Alex Hannah (bass), Charlie Sherliker (guitar), Alex Headen (drums), and McNally on vocals and guitar and is finally stepping out from the bedroom and onto the stage, appearing at FOCUS Wales Festival this month with further live dates TBA.
This extended play is wonderfully bizarre at times but with it`s repetitive beat, fuzzy lo-fi riffs, and sweet vocals it really sucks you in. It runs at just over sixteen minutes in length so you could put an hour aside and give it at least four plays by then you`ll be addicted
Rating 9/10
