Austin’s Trashy Annie released “The Games We Play” on October 31st, a track off their debut album Sticks & Stones. The band is fronted by award-winning songwriter Annie Davis, who taught herself guitar in her mid-40s and blends outlaw-country with hard rock. Trashy Annie formed during the pandemic and got attention quickly for their raw, genre-defying sound and high-energy live shows. They’ve been blowing the roof off bars across the US with their story-driven approach to rock and roll. “The Games We Play” deals with a toxic relationship, the kind where two people know they’re poison together but stay locked in the cycle anyway. It captures the emotional whiplash of choosing the fire even when you know it will burn. The song’s about attraction and regret coexisting, restraint giving way to impulse, and the addictive nature of a bad romance.
Musically, the band and their vocalist sound like a more modern and in-your-face version of Joan Jett and Heart. It sounds like a re-imagining of that classic rock sound with polished performances across the board. The song’s power is carried by the rhythm section locking it down. It’s the reason why this song works; the drums keep the dynamics high and vary it up to make this song stand out and not just be another rock song, and the bassline, while simple, does its job at supporting the vocal melody.
Annie Davis leads the group with a rebellious spirit that comes through clearly on “The Games We Play”. For someone who picked up guitar in her mid-40s, she’s built a sound that holds its own against bands who’ve been at it for decades. Trashy Annie‘s carved out a reputation for electrifying performances, and this track shows why people keep showing up.
