Austin multi-instrumentalist Sssstephen! releases “Day Trip” on March 20th alongside a three-song EP called “Triptychs.” He plays guitar, bass, and drums on the track himself, with the only outside contribution being synth lines from a collaborator credited as JJ. The Smashing Pumpkins’ “Pisces Iscariot” era is the stated reference point, and the quiet-loud-quiet-loud architecture is there – fragile and close-mic’d in the verses, overdriven and eruptive when it opens up. The lyrics are raw and unfiltered, the kind that feel less written than confessed.
Musically, this song captures a vibe I often think about. It’s that washed-out sound that almost feels like hearing a song play from the next room. Like you were at a crowded party and then went to the bathroom, and you’re staring at your reflection with your social battery on 1% – you can’t fight your anxieties to engage with people anymore, and this melancholy just washes over you. That’s what this song sonically feels like. JJ’s synth lines seeping into the back half of the track like a cold front reinforce exactly that; the icy shimmer underneath the distortion makes the emotional weight feel even more isolating.
For a bedroom-recorded track, “Day Trip” has a lot of control over its atmosphere, which is the hardest thing to pull off when you’re making this kind of music alone. The EP format makes sense for what Sssstephen! is doing – three songs is exactly the right container for this level of emotional intensity. Worth picking up as a complete listen when “Triptychs” drops March 20th.
