Despite the sunny locale where Trespassers William formed, this California foursome ignores the generic punk-rock and ska music that is commonplace in their state. Instead on their sophomore album, Different Stars, they wield wintry epics that stand tall in cold landscapes.
Slug-like in its entirety, Different Stars never strays from the three-chord, spatially-strummed acoustic guitar blueprint that they build from the opener onward. Sure, Trespassers William occasionally shakes up its frosty snow globe, but all that emerges is Matt Brown's reverb-drenched guitar sparkle, which continually bubbles and bends around singer Anna-Lynne Williams's slow-burning vocal delivery.
Williams's subtle articulation gives a ghostly presence to the fold, especially on "Lie in the Sound" and the title track. Her approach, however, certainly won't chase away any comparisons to the Sundays or Mazzy Star, nor will their ambitious take on Ride's "Vapour Trail," which could very well be a reunion between Mazzy-mates David Roback and Hope Sandoval that we've been waiting for. Different Stars is definitely music for the "mourning" after.
