AUDIO: Tru West – “Tru Feels”
Tru West released a new album last Friday. The 15 tracks here all follow a story arc; it’s not simply an album about the evolution of a relationship – it encompasses the evolution of the *self* through said relationship, organically blending elements of pop, R&B, dancehall and hip hop. Things start fun and loose as West initiates a love affair (“Tequila”, “BOP”) before ultimately choosing herself once it comes down to what’s best for her (“Blood Pressure”). The intense vulnerability and internal confrontations are challenging for West (“The Water’s Fine”, “Wishing Wells”) but she pulls through and finds herself again through radical acceptance and palpable growth (“Save the Last L”, “Birkin”, “After the Tequila”). There’s interludes of samples and pseudo-a cappella passages – distinguished by their lower-case titles – that carry the intense emotions of Tru West’s navigation through her development. “Tru Feels” is an exceptionally potent journey of trials, tribulations and triumph.
