Trembler’s swampy slowcore is the product of a defiant Houston underground scene that’s rarely been beholden to one sound. Working with producer Corey Coffman (Gleemer), the band seemed to be hitting its post-rock stride with 2022 LP Folding before coming unglued, forcing bandleader Luke Gonzales to regroup.
Produced by Ceej Burton at Houston’s Shiny Tone Recordings and mastered by Coffman, Total Sorry (Rite Field) signals a new beginning for Trembler, even if Gonzales is still licking his wounds. Perhaps that’s why he cautions listeners not to read too much into the EP.
“It’s more of an appetizer,” he notes.
Keeping with that theme, Gonzales dissects the track list for MAGNET.
—Hobart Rowland
1) “Sugar”
“A collage-type piece to send a message that we’re experimenting with our sound. It also defines the EP for what it is: an examination of social and self-obliteration, cosmic connection and admitting defeat.”
2) “Total Sorry”
“The title track functions as an apology to past band members. It also points to the sorrow and anger I felt as I watched everyone splinter, essentially carrying the band forward on my own.”
3) “Gonzales Shoulder”
“My point of view toward the band, my bandmates and my life in general, both literally and metaphorically. The big one is my willingness to ignore issues in myself and others—a generational issue in my family, hence the ‘Gonzales’ shoulder. That cold shoulder is something my family is historically guilty of. The key word here is ‘guilt.’”
4) “Wilt”
“The sound of watching something beautiful in my life die … losing my closest friends, having something that consumed so much of my life splinter and wondering whether it was hollow all along. It’s a good representation of the central feeling I was trying to capture on this EP, which is why it’s the single. It’s sad, but it’s sober in its acceptance and attempt to move on.”
5) “Love Leave The Body”
“This one deals with the anger of losing your love for someone you trusted, and the habits it fosters—particularly alcohol abuse. It also marks a return to the familiar Trembler sound, with a nod to where we’re headed next … now that I’ve dealt with the dissolution that almost killed the band.
