SINGLE REVIEW: Fauxtrot – Retrace Embrace

It’s been a long journey for Fauxtrot. Born back in 2019, the Philly-based three-piece have been working tirelessly on truly carving out their identity and their progressive post-hardcore sound. Fauxtrot have played alongside cult favourites such as I Met A Yeti and With Sails Ahead, and now with their debut single, Fauxtrot truly are ready to step into the limelight.

‘Retrace Embrace’ wraps together groovy bass lines, complex, noodling riffs, and infectious pop hooks into a fiesta for post-hardcore fans, and one that packs firmly more of an emo punch that much of the material of the band’s contemporaries.

Pop punk styled verses shift and morph into classic post-hardcore choruses with catchy, off kilter rhythms as guitars alternate between punchy riffing and technically complex showmanship, whilst vocalist Robert Becker provides a performance that carries something of a playful melancholy about it, his vocals soft and melodic yet delivering the lyricism with a distinctly fun flair.

The track goes on to shift through a slower, stripped back segment that really makes Becker shine, before launching into a funky breakdown segment in the back end of the track that won’t have you throwing punches in the pit, but definitely will have you throwing shapes.

That frankly could be said for the entire song, and that’s down to the fantastic instrumentation here. Of course, there’s those fantastically intricate guitar passages, but ‘Retrace Embrace’ also packs some particularly driving bass lines that elevate the whole track with a powerful sonic bounce, and acts as the ultimate hook to suck the listener in.

There’s plenty more on the cards for Fauxtrot this year, but for an introductory statement, ‘Retrace Embrace’ does the job perfectly. This is a band with some real musical showmanship, and what feels like a strong grasp on who they want to be. Give the track a spin, and give yourself plenty of room; you won’t be able to resist grooving to it.

For Fans Of: pulses., Icarus The Owl, With Sails Ahead, The Ongoing Concept, saturdays at your place

Featured photo credit belongs to @ianbellphotovideo.

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Instagram // Spotify // TikTok