In the past 6 months, emo tinged pop artist, producer, and songwriter Trevor “Astrale” Higuera has quietly been releasing emotionally poignant, self-produced tracks which have culminated in his 5-song EP, ‘Lie’, released on March 10th. Based in Sacramento, Astrale has gained recognition since his 2018 EP ‘Escapism’, and while his prior releases range from squarely electronic to emo rock, Astrale’s ‘Lie’ trades the blatantly electronic elements in his prior work for more lo-fi rock instrumentation.

What has stayed consistent on ‘Lie’, however, is Higuera’s emotive voice and the transportive nature of his melodies. The highlight track on the EP, “Faces”, which was co-written by Higuera and Noah Weidner, grapples with craving external validation and purpose. It leans more heavily on rock side of Astrale’s repertoire and is a succinct representation of the shift in sound that Higuera has made since his earliest releases as a producer.