Review: The Trust Fund Kids – ‘Make Yourself Decent’
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Philadelphia’s colleges are well known for being rookeries of DIY luminaries. From Drexel and The University of the Arts, students would go on to form powerhouse pop punk and indie rock acts like Modern Baseball. One of the newest emerging acts from Temple University promises to break into the city’s illustrious scene and hold their own. The Trust Fund Kids, a project started by Kevin Connor in late 2016, has a knack for creating grungy surfer rock jams. September saw the release of the group’s first EP, Make Yourself Decent, which comprises songs from the group’s first release, one, released in December 2016 and two, released in August of this year.
Admittedly, the recording quality on Make Yourself Decent isn’t perfect — think The Front Bottoms’ I Hate My Friends quality — but considering a good number of the tracks were recorded in Connor’s bedroom, the songs themselves shine.
At first listen, the group seems to have adopted the fun, surfer rock quality of bands like Wavves. But to pigeonhole The Trust Fund Kids would be a misstep. The title track, “Make Yourself Decent”, starts with 80’s electronic elements. “Up in Flames” is a powerful acoustic ballad. “Orlando Gloom” is a head-bobbing, guitar-shredding jam. The Trust Fund Kids refuse to let themselves be confined to a single genre.
Connor’s vocals are impressive throughout the EP’s 28-minute runtime. Some songs see him utilize bedhead vocals that balance on the tightrope of atonality, reminiscent of Neutral Milk Hotel’s Jeff Mangum. In other songs, Connor puts more power behind his voice and gives the songs an edge.
The group’s Bandcamp promises “three LPs in the works”, but until their release, Make Yourself Decent is a strong enough collection to build a loyal fan base. If The Trust Fund Kids are this good now, it will be a pleasure to see more polished pieces in the (hopefully!) near future.
7/10
– Sydney Shaw
