Abrasive Trees is the solo project of Scottish-born guitarist and singer Matthew Rochford, a former member of Jo-Beth Young’s live and studio bands in RISE and Talitha Rise as well as being in the post-punk bands Council of Giants, The Impossible Moon, and a recent Rothko collaborator. It is a band release in that Matthew is joined by other musicians, including Jo-Beth on some additional vocals, but he is the only person in the photo, and it is very much his work. He describes this 3-track 13-minute-long release as experimental post-punk, and in many ways, I can see where he is coming from as if I had been asked to put a date on it I would have said very early 80’s as to me this is in many ways bringing together Simple Minds and New Order, yet with more focus on slightly distorted and multi-tracked guitars (think Mike Oldfield). Only the title cut has vocals, with the others being rather repetitive instrumentals which do not really seem to go anywhere.
It meanders a little too much for me, but I am intrigued to see where he goes with this project and what it would be like as a full album.
Rating: 7/10
