Lee Trent Leans Into Positivity With "In Presence"

This wound-down, feel-good EP comprising six tracks is sure to be a treat for all listeners; these tunes have intricate yet a sense that they’ve all been humbly laid out by Lee Trent himself. It carries out the intent of inspiring, motivating, and sharing the notion of better days to come.

Containing a consistent spread of guitar, piano, as well as string and brass instruments, the vocals envelope every element as one, creating chilling melodies and harmonies. Starting with “The Dashboard Incident” featuring INNER VIEW, serves as a great start and introductory to the chill and feel-good ambience of the entire EP. It’s all about realizing where he’s at, and wanting to move forward for the better.

This song is fitting as the first track, as new listeners presumably start to wonder what happened, which will eventually be told in the coming songs. “Maybe I should find chemistry / between everyone and me” refers to not only having a good relationship with the self, but also with people around him. The line “Once I’m out of this mentality / there will be utter reality / good times are waiting / and these times are fading” is a wake-up call, claiming that there’s no time to waste in terms of being the best version of yourself.

“Warm Winter Collision”, the second track, dives right into the situation of a failed relationship or rejection, which he refers to as the ‘collision’ in this scenario. The guitars are catchy in this one, and the piano parts slide in the right moments; the bassline also adds depth and fullness to the whole song. “There’s nothing left to show, just go” though seemingly bitter, is actually the acknowledgement that things aren’t going to work out despite the effort, but it doesn’t mean it was wasted.

An intimate, campfire feel is evident in the next song, titled “Moonbeams”. Vocals and guitar are isolated at first, eventually building up to a fuller tune. The fills fit the vibe just right; it also includes a short dialogue from a phone call conversation of him calling a new lover, serving as a beautiful moment of finding love again despite his past. The chorus is delivered in a memorable, catchy way, and the rest of the lines just emit a head-over-heels feeling. This one’s definitely a favorite.

“Abrupt” comes next, which acts as advice, or a normal conversation between friends. Through his own experiences that he’s learned from, he imparts what he knows to someone else, providing a sense of comfort throughout. “You gave your love / when the stars were still up above / though the light will fade away, the love and hope you have never goes away” seems like a simple thing to say, but it means a lot anyway. This song contains an overall calm tune, with strings arranged by Trent himself, which really complete the whole sound of it all.

The last two tracks, “Hardd Abrill” and “Subtle Waves” are both instrumentals, showcasing Lee Trent’s ability of creating a homey ambience through music. The former track, having guitar that has a certain foreign and intriguing twinge to it, and a very real, pleasantly surprised reaction of “wait, are those horns?” The latter is both eerie, pretty, and calm at the same time – ending the EP in a beautiful way.