Treyverb is the project of one Trey McManus (get the pun?), who used to play guitar in Ashevillan psyche-pop band King of Prussia. This is his solo project after he apparently relocated to Myrtle Beach, SC. Huh.
On his own, he makes instrumental guitar music, combining layers of effected guitar with drums, or maybe a drum machine. It's hard to tell.
This kind of thing hits in my sweet spot, to be honest. I hear echoes of Robin Guthrie, Manual, Yellow 6, Portal, and even Felt in what McManus is doing.
This EP starts off with the excellently titled Jesus Overdrive. A drum machine taps a sparse, flat beat, a piano tinkles, and McManus tinkles along with his guitar. The song builds up to a solo that Tommy Shaw would have killed for in 1983.
On Twin Velvet, McManus channels Maurice Deebank and early Felt. The guitar just chimes along in layers with a really lovely little melody. This is a charming tune.
He gets close to Yellow 6 and Guthrie on Opus 72. This song just kind of meanders along with ambient guitar is chiming layers sliding against one another. In the middle there is a classic rock kind of grinding guitar solo that surfaces, then fades back into the gentle ambience of the tune.
In Sunset Stripe there is a lovely staccato piano riff, another 1980s guitar solo, and some thunderous drums. All of those elements combine to make this a huge song, with a big sound that seems to fill a massive space.
McManus is up to some interesting things. I find it fascinating that he has brought some 1980s style big hair band guitar solos to the ambient guitar world, which is mostly New Wave derived. I know that some people might find that to be a bit of a turnoff, but i find it to be engaging.
A fun little EP.
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