Delving retrospectively into one’s past and how it shapes them today, Memory Shapes is a consuming new album from Moth Traps. An artful pop disposition takes hold, immersing across various realms — from piano-fronted balladry to atmospheric synth jaunts and string-laden elegance. The solo project of Robyn McIntosh, who was also lead vocalist in Brighton band The Happiness, impresses with his third album; its thematic fixations on memory and death sharply complement melodic productions with eclectic tonal pursuits.
Opening track “The Dress Rehearsal” wastes no time in establishing a captivating soundscape. Vibrant piano trickling and wordless vocal intrigue assemble beautifully, then moving into a grimier bass-fronted composure as the vocals build into a “this is the dress rehearsal,” declaration. A variety of successful sonic components, like the squeaking footstep-like rhythms in the back-end, consume alongside the jangling guitars and effervescent piano gliding. The quivering, fierce vocals weave in seamlessly, finding an enveloping middle ground between twinkling atmospheric appeal and ardent art-pop immediacy.
“The Fortune Teller” follows with an invigorating admission: “They said that I would die young!” The expressive refrain moves into a glistening contemplation thereafter, acknowledging retrospection in conveying others’ past doubts, then rebutting with an affirmation of being quite alive. String-laden majesty leads a stirring bridge at the mid-point, melding cohesively into pit-pattering percussive heaviness. Spacey synths linger as vocals appear again, furthering the dynamic tonal range within — touching upon chamber-pop lushness and electronic vigor alike.
Memory Shapes continues to enamor well past this strong commencing one-two punch. “How We Drove” charms with its theatrical vocal output and playful keys, sounding like a wonderful cross between The Cure, Of Montreal, and The Russian Futurists. Exuberant vocals and clanging piano move grippingly into buzzing synth-forward haunts, pulsating with enjoyable unease; the blend of piano-led theatrics and dark synth foreboding is also exemplary of Moth Traps’ eclectic reach, in both emotional and atmospheric ferocity.
Another standout, “Skin Envy” asks “what drives the parasite?” as instrumentation shifts between solemn piano touches and bouncy synth radiance. A title-referencing sequence is especially infectious in the second half. “I would like to inhabit your body,” the vocals beckon, cutting amidst illuminated synths; possible past recollections of infatuation are emitted with artful precision. Elsewhere, “My TV Girls” fully embraces a minimalist piano-ballad feeling for its majority, then pushing into a final minute that thoroughly dazzles in its furious string arrangements; an excitable, emotional chamber-pop enthrallment takes firm hold into this riveting track’s satiating conclusion, and alongside “Gaslight” certainly impresses in its infusions of strings.
Concluding the album with an impassioned enjoyment, “The Morbs” continues the sense of yearning — “I wanna hold your hand just one more time,” — as layers of wordless vocal serenity, twangy guitars, and angular synth infusions form another tonally dynamic success. Memory Shapes is a consistently memorable showing from Moth Traps, immersing in both its melodic range and emotively retrospective flair.
