Torrey - Something Happy
TORREY DROPS PLUSH, SHIMMERING ‘SOMETHING HAPPY’ LP
San Francisco-based dream-pop outfit Torrey recently released their debut album, entitled Something Happy. Recorded at Tiny Telephone in San Francisco, the album was engineered, produced, and mixed by Sami Perez, and mastered by Jacob Winik.
Torrey | Photo: William Callan
Made up of sister and brother Ryann (vocals, bass) and Kelly Gonsalves (guitar), along with Eric Mohammed (drums) and Adam Honingford (lead guitar), Torrey began life as a musical experiment, when Ryann and Kelly started sharing voice memos, followed by collaborating.
Kelly explains, “I think naturally working with your sibling is challenging. Some days are really amazing and you’re on the same page, and then other days you just really know how to dig into that person […] But it seems like no matter what, I can be playing guitar and Ryann knows exactly what to do right off the bat.”
Once the siblings established their creative process, they recruited Mohammed and Honingford, resulting in a safe vehicle for artistic expression which, for the artists, was something new.
According to Ryann, “I think a couple of us were having fun playing in a band for the first time in a while. We can make a pop song and then I can also be singing about my depression and we’re still having fun. It’s a good time.”
The momentum of the track, soft and glimmering, is bewitchingly jangly.
Encompassing 10-tracks, Something Happy begins with “Screens,” opening on low-slung gleaming guitars flowing into a finessed rhythm as Ryann’s plush voice rides over the melody, infusing the lyrics with luminous timbres.
Speaking purely subjectively, entry points include “Recycle,” riding shimmering guitars atop a crunching, syncopated beat. Ryann’s dreamy, wistful vocals give the tune sighing translucence. The momentum of the track, soft and glimmering, is bewitchingly jangly.
A personal favorite, “Recording 119” pushes out iridescent coloration on a gentle yet captivating rhythm. The velvety stream of Ryann’s diaphanous tones gives the lyrics cashmere, crystalline textures. Whereas “Cold Snack” starts off on slightly melancholic savors rolling into a lightly throbbing rhythm capped by Ryann’s silky, pristine voice. Intertwining, glossy guitars infuse the harmonics with luscious leitmotifs.
Sumptuous, opulent guitars define “Still,” demonstrating the dazzling meshing colors of shiny riffs. “Wear You Out” travels on floating, lustrous aromas of glinting guitars as Ryann’s ethereal timbres imbue the lyrics with gentle sonic patinas.
The last track, “First Jam,” conjures up memories of The Cranberries, only more propulsive, and rich with scintillating hues. At the midway point, the harmonics shift from dream-pop surfaces to psychedelic hazes trembling with oozing washes of sound.
Something Happy is superb, brimming with radiant polished textures and enticing rhythms, all crowned by Ryann’s deluxe, exquisite voice.
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