The Hotel Café Hollywood, CA
Contact: [email protected]
Web: trishes.com
Players: Trish Hosein, vocals, keyboards, loop station, theremin; Gray Robertson, bass, synthesized bass; Guy Azoulay, SPD-SX drum pad
Material: Celebrating the release of her debut album, The Id, TRISHES (born Trish Hosein) delivered a powerful performance of socio-political musical art. With lyrics addressing matters of immigration, police brutality, nationalism, poverty and self-acceptance, Hosein combined various beats and effects with her strong melodic vocals, blending beautiful sounds with spoken word intros and outros between tracks.
Musicianship: Rooted harmonies and interesting loop effects added to solid bass and drum pads, delivering an eclectic mix of choreographed sound alongside talented bandmates. Solo track, “Chemicals,” highlighted TRISHES’ vocal loop layering, vibrato and operatic ability, while “Instant Gratification” incorporated dissonance and piercing vocal cries––along with an intense drum roll outro––to amplify her lyrical expression of frustration.
Performance: With a hipster buzz, the animated artiste opened with an explanation of her Freudian philosophy, with “Animal” sharing tribal beats and scat sounds to create an intriguing, dark vibe. A Michael Angelo reference introduced “Hard As A Rock,” with its heavy bass and drum effects. Fabulous backing beats on hit “Big Sunglasses” amplified the guttural war cry against inauthenticity, and “Cotton Candy” layered pretty vocals over guitar and synth sections. Evening standouts included “Taximan,” with its beautifully stripped-down storytelling, and closer, “Riled Up,” with captivating vocal looping and pretty falsetto lines leading to a full-on dance jam.
Summary: As an outspoken humanitarian and goodwill ambassador, TRISHES does not hold back in her description of the inequity and imbalance in the world, nor does she tone down lyricism or emotion. Unleashing her vocal narrative with harmonic layers and operatic moments that speak to the current torment of being human, TRISHES’ show provided a unique combination of self-expression and presented a memorable musical event to stir the conscience.
