Absense
‘Absense’
Self-released
Absense’s eponymous debut EP brings to mind the
perils of youth, confronting the listener with the uncertainty of a young
person’s place in the world. The lyrics deal with heavy issues that give the
songs moments of occasional discomfort. Lead vocalist and guitarist Tristan Harvey
and drummer Kyle Hunter co-wrote the tunes, which are grounded in a fusion of
alt-rock and punk. Recorded at Watchman Studios in Lockport, the EP overdubs
guitar parts and adds bass lines to fill out the spare arrangements. Harvey has
an everyman’s voice that lends itself to the material. Absense’s
best songs — “I’ve Tried” and “Leave Me Alone” — are compressed, upbeat and
clock in less than two and a half minutes. The band captures the spirit of teen
angst and spins it into a thing of significance.
This article appears in Mar 13-19, 2019.
