The Wires Out will have you feeling good for late night and unfinished conversations, and so will THROES NYC's music. The opening notes of this piece reveal that Michael Bozzo and Courtney Leo understand how to play with quiet spaces as well as sound. That makes the EP unique.
Bozzo and Leo, who hail from Queens, have been making music together since childhood. They've been around the older music venues of New York for years, and that's obviously had an influence on them. History is palpable on the EP. The record evokes a sense of the city and is very much a record of their lives.
Courtney Leo's voice is the main focus of both songs. She is full of feeling but doesn't overdo it. She has the ability to sing softly and with unease when necessary (depending on the song). Her delivery is also very honest. She sounds like she's genuinely singing what she means.
Always, Baby starts gently, with soft piano and a soft voice, and gradually fills as the song progresses. At the end, all the synths and the guitar make everything bigger and stronger. The change is effective because it is part of the song; it doesn't sound like something they just put in.
Something Chemical goes to a much darker place. The bass line and light piano parts provide the backbone of the track, but it never really settles. From beginning to end there is tension in the song. That's a fitting expression of the uneasy feeling of obsession that lies at its heart.
The two songs come together in Michael Bozzo's production. The bottom notes are rich and the electronic elements are layered without ever crowding the tracks. The shifts in energy are also well executed. Michael and Courtney seem to be familiar with what they are looking for and how to obtain it.
I found myself spending more time than I thought on this EP. Little bits of the story came back to me with each listen. The Wires Out feels full of atmosphere, honesty and feeling. I'm really excited for THROES NYC and interested to know where they go from there.
