The Tryst
Thirsty World
A Purple Kite (2006)

by Jessi Hafer

The Tryst is an indie band out of Tuscon, Arizona that will be performing in Fresno at Full Circle Brewing Co. on Friday, June 8 at 8pm, $5 per person. Their second cd, Thirsty World, was released in December 2006, and it is a lot of fun to listen to!

The Tryst is probably best described as a versatile funky/jazzy/soul rock band with a sound that is characterized by their trumpet player and their female vocalist. Vocalist (and rhythm guitarist) Keli Carpenter has a clean, smooth, and bright style. In some songs, she reminds me a bit of Bebel Gilberto or the singer from Darling Violette. Carpenter definitely sounds like someone who has trained to sing in other styles, but that training doesn’t hold her back from funky tones with Tryst. Trumpeter Aldy Montofar perfectly compliments the other musicians: Taylor Bungard (bass), S. David Kyle (drums), and Clinton Tristan Owner (guitar).

Thirsty World has twelve tracks. The first, “Fallen,” provides a strong opening with a melodic trumpet, staccato guitar, and vocals that are at times snappy and at times bluesy. “Fortunate Fates” starts dreamier and laidback, then shifts to something more upbeat. But, really, the whole cd sounds simultaneously upbeat and laidback. One of my favorites is “Long Time Come,” which has a sort of a Sublime style. I also love “Tragic Clown,” which has Spanish-style acoustic guitar and jazzy percussion backing. The lyrics are also great: “You built your mountain / And now it blocks the sun / We’ve got to tear it down / … I’m a witness to the crime / Of the way you turn your head / And act like you ain’t / Got the time / You’re unaffected.”

The Tryst also has very striking album art that has a distinctive style of color and shapes. You can see this on the cd cover, inside the cd jacket, and, for that matter, on all the fliers for their shows that I’ve seen. I don’t usually comment on cd art, but it really jumped out at me in this case.

Thirsty World is available for $10 at cdbaby.com, and you can probably pick it up at one of The Tryst’s shows. In addition to Fresno, they are performing at several other spots in California in June: LA, SF, Monterey, Sonora, Modesto, and Merced. For more info on The Tryst, check www.wearetryst.com or, better yet, check out their Full Circle show on June 8!