ALBUM REVIEW: CLEAN TRAUMA – Songs for Sabotage

Today, Los Angeles-based Indie pop duo Songs for Sabotage presents CLEAN TRAUMA, their second full-length record, to the world. Lina Sophie on vocals and guitar, and Richey Rose as producer and multi-instrumentalist. Lina and Richey first bonded over a mutual love for Swedish pop, 80s first wave, 90s alternative, and 00s indie.

The LP, CLEAN TRAUMA, is a fusion of alternative pop and indie rock sounds. The album overall radiates a moody atmosphere that reminds me of the famous 2014 Tumblr blog aesthetic (if you know, you know) through a contemporary frame. 

The 4th track on the record, “Sorry,” is a ballad written entirely on the duo’s Roland JDX-i synthesizer. The duo says this “was the first time we’d ever written a song that didn’t have any electric bass or guitar.” They later added strings and other layers to the song, and the finished sound inspired the tone they chose to explore throughout the rest of the album. Songs for Sabotage produces, engineers, mixes, and masters all of their own music in their home studio.

Photo Credit: Nat Austrich (@natashaaustrich)

You can listen to CLEAN TRAUMA here: