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NYC’s j solomon is re-introducing himself to the indie-alternative scene with the gloriously disruptive single “Trick”. 

j solomon wastes no time establishing the sarcastic snark of “Trick,” opening the song with layers of cheeky speak-sung vocals. The band comes in with a groove that patchworks influences into an original fusion of surf-rock nonchalance and alternative brazenness. A sly bass line meanders coolly alongside the fuzz of distorted guitars, all punctuated in a punky rhythm. The lyrics lean into the defiant attitude, paired with j solomon’s urgent, yet unbothered vocal delivery to offer commentary on the inevitable burnout of being an artist on the internet. 

“Trick” is somehow simultaneously fit for DIY shows in a basement where the ceiling is made of exposed beams and string lights and steamy New York clubs—the kind only seen between flashes of strobe lights. It’s indie sleaze at its finest, wearing grit like a badge of honor, an undone tie around the collar of a sweat-soaked dress shirt. 

Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android” would be jealous of the textures that coast over the gut-punch of an industrial drum loop that lays at the core of “Trick.” From raging guitar riffs to dystopian, electronic sputtering, the range within the arrangement is gloriously dizzying as j solomon flaunts his ability to draw musicality out of any sound. He lets the production spiral into insanity, giving himself the freedom to settle into the song’s rebellion. 

As the artist’s first follow-up since his debut EP, Sleeping in the Garden, this new single is a standout introduction to the indie rock revolt j solomon has been crafting since. 

Listen to "Trick" below: