Mini Trees - “Cracks in the Pavement”

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 5

Pairs Well With…HAIM, Japanese Breakfast, Beach House

It’s hard to pinpoint an exact sound on Mini Trees debut full-length Always in Motion, not that the LA-based artist is genre hopping song to song, rather she melds pop, dream rock, folk, and melancholy alt rock into a consistent and comfortable blend. Balancing grounded, bedroom rock/pop songwriting with more psychedelic moments, Mini Trees is deceptively smooth, using those more spaced-out moments to get to places borderline hypnotic. The melancholy, Americana threads play nicely against the descents of the more experimental tones that haunt the whole of Always in Motion. Again, balance. Raw emotionality versus plucky synth-rock melodies (“Youth”), Chillwave R&B versus surf pop (“Spring”) - whatever the approach, Mini Trees is additive with a natural touch. (Kevin McStravick)