Pathology

The sound of Oakland, CA'’s Trails and Ways is a fascinating mix of the melancholy of bossa nova, the fearlessness of basement indie rock, driving grooves from the end of disco, and the slick shine of radio pop. Their songs never shy away from personal and political heavy-lifting, but this is some of the most compelling pop music we’ve heard in some time. Call it what you will; hearing it is like stumbling into the warmth of an intimate dance party among smart and thoughtful friends. Pathology, their debut LP, was recorded at home in Oakland in 2014, amid the unrelenting crawl of the California drought and the surge of tech-company capital in the Bay Area. The album is a work of multiple hands, multiple hearts, and multiple voices — vibrant, emotional, political, and personal.