What does Mini Trees sound like?

Somewhere between St Vincent, Imogen Heap and Mitski when they play with their poppier production sides.

The review of Mini Trees – Burn Out EP

Following Mini Trees’ debut album ‘Always in Motion’ which was released in 2021, Lexi Vega found herself on a whirlwind tour. However, when she finally got home two years later, she found herself utterly spent, tired and dejected. It’s the age-old problem of musicians and artists who give everything to their work. How can you sustain yourself and not burn out?

After taking a break, she returned to the studio and brought along collaborators and friends to help gee her back up again. The result is ‘Burn Out’, a five track EP that shifts Mini Trees’ sound to an Indie Pop sound. It is almost like it is designed to bring euphoria and uplifting vibes to Lexi herself as well as the listener. ‘Shapeshifter’ kicks this off with aplomb. A thick bouncy bass line and live drums bring an indie pop glow that borrows from the dancefloor but also from the bathroom of tears. There is a dreamlike quality to the slightly slowed-down club anthem feel that production gives and it works beautifully with the excellent lyrics.

Lyrically, this release is crammed full of self-doubt, tiny realisations and mini breakthroughs. The glittery pop-rock anthem ‘Burn Out’ basks in the chorus hook of “I’m not worth keeping around” but you could easily dance to it. The live instrumentation adds depth and gravitas to the music too. It means that when the music pushes towards a synthgaze explosion, it’s as if the music is shapeshifting in moods and guise too. ‘Cave’ features Medium Build’s Nick Carpenter in a beautifully cinematic piece. Mini Trees starts as the acoustic guitar drenched and vocoder-damaged version of herself. After a folksy opening half, the track cuts to in-room piano and Nick’s voice takes over as an alternative timeline before they combine forces for a gripping finale. Even in the more straightforward tracks, the production and attention to detail shine through.

‘Sabotage’ reminds me of Imogen Heap because of the way vocal snippets are arranged into a vocal collage of chords and rhythms. Warm, sun-glazed synths drape crunchy drum machines in a moment of softness and giddy hope. The indie-pop and alternative rock crossover solidifies itself with the closing track ‘Push & Pull’. Here I’m taken back to the glory days of indie-pop circa 2005 where blissed-out guitar strums, warm synths, multiple drum machines and thickly layered vocals were all the rage. I am a sucker for this style of indie pop when it pulls enough emotional damage for each punch it takes. Mini Trees packs plenty in every swing.

‘Burn Out EP’ is a superb way to rejuvenate yourself and I hope it rejuvenated Lexi too. Mini Trees has a knack for taking initially simple melodies and keeping them interesting through clever production or performance quirks. Sometimes it’s the polyrhythms and combined drum machines. Elsewhere it’s the unusual instrumentation and duelling chord progressions. Maybe it’ll be how you didn’t realise just how tragic the lyrics were until you really studied them. It is a superb release and anyone who enjoys where alternative and indie pop collide will enjoy this sublime slice of determined perseverance.

Recommended track: Burn Out

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