Debut EP from Tropigloom

Toronto-based musician Andrew Roy has long been an accomplished name in the city’s indie and alternative spheres but with his new project Tropigloom, he’s exploring an exciting new side of his own musical world. A fusion of shoegaze, lo-fi and alternative rock, Tropigloom floats between nostalgia and renewal, a place where hazy guitar tones, wistful melodies and emotional context collide to form something thoroughly exciting. Distant and personal, it’s music wrapped in melancholy but still tinged by subtle moments of light and warmth.

Before stepping into the world of Tropigloom, Andrew was already a seasoned session musician whose work could be found across several Toronto-based projects. His guitar talents were showcased while on tour for Hannah Georgas’ acclaimed For Evelyn record and he’s also contributed to bands such as Etiquette, Off The International Radar, Praises and Beliefs. Now with Tropigloom, he finally turns that collective experience to his own vision, channeling it into a solo endeavour that feels intensely reflective and highly compelling.

The project made its debut in December last year with the single “Believe It,” a shimmering first outing that announced Tropigloom’s arrival in emphatic fashion. The release was soon followed by a trio of tracks that began to shape the project’s unique identity that embraces deep meaning and delicate intensity in equal measure.

Now, Tropigloom delivers its most complete statement yet with the brand new debut EP titled Everything Now But In Reverse, a collection of four songs penned in the wake of a near-death experience that left Andrew irrevocably changed. It’s a record that explores what happens when the past becomes startlingly clear, when life feels familiar but transformed and the fragments of memory rearrange themselves into new meaning. This sense of altered perception runs through the EP’s emotional output, where themes of reflection and survival intertwine.

Set up by the bouncy rustle of drums, pulsing bass lines and airy guitar notes of opening track “Disappear,” Andrew’s breathy vocals enter to stitch smooth melodies into the atmospheric musical fabric. Rolling with a slick forward motion, the balance between engaging groove and uplifting aesthetic makes for an enveloping listening experience where intricate melodic writing and superb musicianship deliver an original and memorable sound.

“Invisible” glides with a laid back energy as the shuffling patter of drums and misty twang of guitars form an immersive soundscape for hushed vocals to flicker above. Still groove-focused and subtly catchy throughout, it’s a track that sees Tropigloom lean further into the smokey areas of his musical universe, offering a stunning display of his songwriting appeal and performance talents.

With “Speak Up,” the spacey buzz of synth tones and bright strums of lightly gritty guitars tumbles into place as the punch of drums brings the track into focus. Flowing with plodding bass backing and upbeat vocal leads that drift through the enthralling track, echoes of pop-focused writing add an energising vibe to the song, resulting in a playful slice of his incredible blend of shoegaze and alternative stylings. Closing the EP with “The Truth,” the instantly absorbing fusion of crisp percussion and washy instrumentation casts a dreamy scene where quiet vocals elements add flashes of charming melodic lines into the transportive soundscape, offering stellar finale to Tropigloom’s sensational debut EP.

Listen to Everything Now But In Reverse below