Camp Trash is a band that impressed me from the first second I heard them on their first single ”Weird Carolina” before the Downtime EP was out. I can't deny that I got to discover the band through Keegan, the guitarist. (Keegan used to write on many Asian bands for Get Alternative and that includes my band, Ache, getting coverage on the webzine and I think that's being one of the reasons why I looked up his band, Camp Trash.) It's a bit shady if you look from a narrow perspective BUT believe me The Long Way, The Slow Way is a nice stuff you should listen to.
Camp Trash is a band that is always mentioned as everyone talks about the 5th wave emo and I think that's undeniable. While so many 5th wave emo bands emphasize how good they are in killing the twinkle guitar riffs with the virtuoso type of drumming, some bands like Camp Trash or Worst Ever Party take a different approach on music writing. Camp Trash is a band that is known for putting out real fine, melodious songs instead of being twinkle as fukk. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an anti-twinkle kind of person but when anything is being "overexposed," it's the time when you have to pick a thing that is very good from it. And I think it's the right moment when the band should give up their best shot. And yes, Camp Trash does it well on The Long Way, The Slow Way.
The band takes no break after their first EP Downtiming was out in 2021, and The Long Way, The Slow Way was released in July 2022. Yes, one damn hot year, and I hope that the band will keep going on to bring us their best output in years to come. I hate pre-release stuff, so when the three singles were out to promote the album, I intended not to listen to it. (Yes, I'm a "surprise me" kind of person.) And fortunately, a The Long Way, The Slow Way is a good surprise.
The album starts with a track called ”Mind Yr Own.” It begins with a melodious voice and palm muting guitar sound that builds up a good mood for the listener. And the magical part of the song is its chorus. I love how the vocals blend with the song, where everyone gives up their best voices to sing along.
The next highlighted song, ”Weird Florida,” is a damn fine indie rock-driven song that blasts the whole shit up at a house party! The song starts with an uplifting intro, then a good verse that totally will get everyone dancing. I would say the best part is when the band keys on the harmony. It's a 2-minute song that will get you to repeat for more.
”Let It Ride” is different from the others, as per song structure. I think what makes the song special is that the drum syncopation makes this song sounds really good. And yes, once again a lovely vocal harmony that is placed before the chorus -- another contributing factor to why this song sounds so lovely.
What can you say when an album has 8 or 12 good songs on it? It is a damn fine emo/indie rock album and, yes, it will unarguably be on my yearly list. And don't forget the LP is put out by Count Your Lucky Star Records. It's good to know when some "older" guy is giving space for any newer kid on the scene. We need more of this.
