Trey Wonder is an artist driving with genuine emotion and a passionate connection to the music he makes. Having been through some unthinkable difficulties, the musician and songwriter has channeled his frustration and fear into art – into music. From the album The Ghost of my Father, Out Of The Dark makes for a bold and memorable introduction to his work and his approach to creativity.
Out Of The Dark is a song that quite literally takes on the topic of being held back by personal turmoil or struggle. The sound feels authentically punk-rock-like in nature, though with a few flickers of electronic-rock to mix things up. Trey’s voice offers a fitting balance between gentle indie-pop and something a little grittier. As stated, there’s a world of emotion embedded within his music, and this pours through in everything from the instrumental choices to the lyrics to his vocal performance and tone. The punk rock aura stands tall in the melody and the minimal level of notes utilised during the verses, but elsewhere the artist lets the moment and the underlying sentiments dictate the direction of the song.
Turning in at just under the three minute mark, Out Of The Dark hits in the way that punk-pop used to back in the day. The guitar riff has character, it’s simple but effective – you recognise it the second time around, and it works in the way that organic and rhythmic rock should. Trey has performed every element of the recording himself, so the connection is strong throughout the building blocks that make up the track. The drums, the guitars, the bass, the lyrics, the overall expression – everything is unique and true to the intended ideas.
Trey touches on his darkness in a real and uninhibited way – moments like there’s no continuing, you’re dead… sun shines when I’m stuck inside… I might as well kill myself – these stand out as rightfully shocking. The truthfulness runs deep, and it connects for its honesty. Losing a loved one, particularly to suicide, is heart breaking, confusing, and often breath-takingly difficult to handle. Trey addresses this without simply clouding over it. However, he also addresses the next stages of life – the moving forwards, the overcoming. The song’s title and underlying concept is about finding the strength and continuing – …stop thinking of death, I gotta pull myself out of the dark.
For its raw indie-rock presentation the song works well and favors its audience, likely making for a big moment at a live show. For its writing and realness, the song offers vulnerability and humanity, which ticks a whole host of other boxes and adds immense value to the work and the way it will be received by listeners.
The Ghost of my Father as an album takes on all of these qualities and more. Trey continues to explore the issues that have haunted him, the various forks in the road and the effects they’ve had on his life, and musically he continues to offer energy and colour and escapism. Well worth a listen.
Download Trey’s music via Bandcamp or stream it on Spotify. Visit his Website for more information.
