By Megan Hughes
A track full of teenage angst that battles with being who you are and finding self acceptance in that regardless of the opinion of others.
Up and coming Edinburgh band Cameo Habitat are an all boy, five piece group. These guys first made waves when they appeared on the scene with a single back in 2018. Three years in and they are going from strength to strength.
The novices have a new single out – Trace of Self, this was released last month and has been a hit with critiques thus far. This single broadens their repertoire as it moves them from just an indie band to a more alternative rock sound. Although, an overall mellow feel this song is full in sound with a dominant guitar leading the song along-with bold drum beats and synths throughout.
Rowan Gallagher provides vocals which offer a calmness as he effortlessly sings in a very nonchalant fashion. This appears to be a key element of the record as without it you could argue the sound would just be descending into chaos. The vocals delivered by Gallagher are what holds all the moving parts of this song together – without them the song, as a sound, wouldn’t make sense.
Although, the low and mellow vocals pull you through the song they don’t lead or carry it. They work in tandum with the drums and synth. The leading sound in this composition is the guitar. The guitar guides any and all key changes, carrying itself an octave or two higher than the rest of the song. This allows their lead guitar man Oskar O’neil to dictate the songs movement.
In terms of lyrics this song looks at the external pressures the youth of today, or anyone for that matter, are liable to feel when they find themselves changing and outgrowing things – may that be environments or people. Gallagher sings lines such as: a reality that we’ve left behind; find the words that lead to clarity; I could be someone you thought I was before; without a trace of myself I am no more. Depending on your interpretation you might think Gallagher is the one applying pressure or, alternatively, the one experiencing it. Either way the lyrics are incredibly relatable regardless of who you are or where you come from.
Hopefully this is just a mere smidgen of the up and coming plans the guys have as this is a brilliant track and shows great strength in the new direction the band are trying to move in.
You can keep up with Cameo Habitat through their social media noted below:
Twitter: @CameoHabitat
Instagram: @cameohabitat
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cameohabitat/
The Music Files 