WEBSITE: http://triangleshirtfactory.com
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I've put this off long enough. I listen to Triangle Shirt Factory's Widening (2007) every single day, almost always more than once, and with no regrets. I'm truly baffled by the lack of propaganda and web talk surrounding the record - what's more is Pirate Bay's possession of the record: blasphemous. Go buy this music - it's <$10 (of 14 tracks w/ zero filler) and the poor kid that made it needs to be able to afford his next recording session.
At any rate, the record begins with a seductive, tribal piece called "Handlebars." Vocalist / Composer, Trevor Leonard. takes the listener on a visual day trip through the Pennsylvania suburbs, atop a bicycle. The lyricism, simple and approachable, is the perfect vessel for Leonard's art. He wants the listener to feel the breeze in their face as the houses seemingly pass by; by george, that's what I felt.
As is with most of the tracks on Widening, "Handlebars" utilizes a folk instrumentation crossed with a percussive locomotive that really carries Leonard's already powerful vocals. I mentioned in the Triangle Shirt Factory PFW Feature that Trevor's vocals are wholly epic and consuming; Much of that opinion was based heavily on the opening track, "Italian Sun", "The Hallway of Denken", and "Sidewalks": another very visual focused song that I'll let you experience for yourself, courtesy TSF.
"Sidewalks (A Newton Winter Memory)"
Along with Leonard's imagery heavy lyricism comes an enormous focus on the concepts of positivity and peace. You'll hear these themes throughout the record as Leonard advocates the "loosening" of your mind in track 3, as well as his general appreciation for nature and our Earth. Widening is supported by two major musical styles that include the previously mentioned folk sound as well as a surprisingly effective reggae jaun that's explored in "Loosen" and "Homeland Security" as well as my personal favorite track: "Builder", a song that lays witness to yet another truly beautiful, major theme on the record: agriculture and farm-oriented imagery. Within this theme, Leonard sings in prose, describing scenes of laborers and an ill mother, painting a rustic canvas like something out of a movie.
These many visual explorations quite profoundly glue this record together making it a scenic, 14-track journey through a consistent, dynamic listening experience. "Handlebars" differs from "Hope in You" lyrically and instrumentally; they portray entirely different moods with entirely different messages. Both tracks, as well as each track in between, however, support the ideals of love, positive living, and happiness. It's because of this seldom explored mindset that Widening is Triangle Shirt Factory's true anthemic record, and a real treasure.
THE SKINNY: Touching on nodes of political dishonesty, rural life, visual imagery, and a dose of mysticism, Triangle Shirt Factory's Widening paints a vivid picture of vocalist Trevor Leonard's life and personal beliefs. Positivity oozes out of the sides of this record making it the perfect soundtrack to your next good-spirited, outdoor walk.
FAVORITE TRACK: Builder, Earth (to Humans), Italian Sun
FOR FANS OF: Dashboard Confessional, Relient K, Soaring Pop-Oriented Vocals
PURCHASE: Click the Picture above
