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Music

Troller Make a Bleak Return on Their Bruised Sophomore Album, 'Graphic'

The Texas trio are back with more compelling chiaroscuro.
Courtesy of the artist

Austin trio Troller emerged in 2012 with a sound that was something like the aftermath of a shot to the bicep, the slow murky bloom of dulled pain and the compelling blues and blacks of quickly formed bruise. Built around squeaking synth lines, trashed drum machines, and bassist/singer Amber Goers' dead-eyed riffing and trance-inducing vocalizations, they developed a singularly bleak take on darkwave semantics. Over three years later, they finally return with another dive into darkness on April 8 with Graphic, their sophomore LP on Holodeck Records.

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Though there are brief moments of respite, like the Badalamenti-esque swells of "Storm Maker," Goers pushes even the record's lightest moments into spectral atmospheres—where even a line like "carry me on" can feel like a message from beyond the grave. Elsewhere, they string together harrowing interludes like "Drug Dog" and crushing recordings like "Sundowner" in varied, but unforgiving depictions of relatable human gloom. It'll move you, or make you curl up in a ball on the floor, one or the other.

In advance of its release this Friday, Graphic is streaming in full below.