On his debut EP, Texas Girls and Jesus Christ, singer/songwriter Trevor Sensor blends traditional folk imagery and sounds with a little 21st century edge.
Given the concise nature of this release, he shoots out of the gate and out towards the stars. On the title track, he screams “Bigger is better even from the heart!” before a knee-slapping breakdown of electric guitar and thumping bass kick in. This bombastic display of showering celebration fizzles out as quickly as it commenced, masking the rock-out surprise with a relatively timid beginning.
In other words, Sensor’s own personal firework show erupts for faithful listeners, except his grand finale illusions are come at the start of the EP’s brief 18 minute playtime.
Pushing forward, the somber revelations of a young man singing his blues are self-evident in every song, both as pompous and as loud as Trevor Sensor can reveal. “Swallows Sing Their Song” features a strong array of piano chords as an undercarriage to his sweeping acoustic guitar and crooning vocals.
It’s almost as if there’s an inverse relationship between Sensor’s arrangements versus the urgency in his scraggly candor. For example, “Satan’s Man” is the most apparent encapsulation my theory, sacrificing it’s somber yet uplifting melody for a constant minor string of notes over the screeching heartbreak emitting from Sensor’s lips. This song structure is echoed again on “Nothing Is Fair”, with his guitar gently striking a few chords throughout against his voice.
Right now, Trevor Sensor is only 22, but the lyricism on Texas Girls and Jesus Christ is packed with revelations of barren sadness.
It’s striking, even compared to creations the most prominent voices of this generation have to offer. “I was told to believe in a country that is free, but ain’t nothing fair for you and me,” he reflects on “Nothing Is Fair.” Call it Bob Dylan worship, or simply resurrecting and building Zimmy’s musings in a modern environment, but there is no denying the talent and ability needed to achieve such a stature, especially at such a young age.
He combines minimal guitar lines with stories just vague enough to touch home with people of all walks of life, making a winning formula. Indeed, “Nothing Is Fair” is brilliant just for that and channels Sensor’s best qualities.
Given the progression of the former track combined with closing track, the piano tear-jerker “Pacing The Cage,” one can also see the intangibles garnered by such legends as Tom Waits, who is an additional, obvious influence on Trevor Sensor’s budding career.
Whatever the swirling opinions and sparks rekindled in folk-enthusiasts brains, the imaginary checklist is complete. It makes Texas Girls and Jesus Christ is a worthy achievement and Trevor Sensor a breath of fresh air for the genre. The charisma, narrative, voice, and talent are all here. When he combines all of these traits into a future full length release, watch out! Looking forward, you’d best keep an eye out for his name .
Ratting: 4/5