Traquair – Held the Pulse (2026)
With his EP Held the Pulse, Traquair is moving between soul and psychedelic hazes for flashes of romance and late-night introspection. Across the 5 tracks of the EP, he explores uncertainty, connections, survival and the memories of what might have been. With a sound that ranges from immersive tension to blinding optimism and everything in between, this is an EP that showcases his musicality and emotive range.
Armed with a 12-string guitar, Traquair gives in to his sonic muse that is part street corner soul and part psychedelia that wonderfully matches his passionate style and poetic flows. While his sound taps into these genres, there is something about it that also defies classification, making it a true manifestation of his artistry. The ability he has to transport listeners from their regular world to his soundscape is on clear display through this EP.
The EP opens with ‘Girl, Your Mind is a Dangerous Game’ which pushes you into the roll of the guitar. You can feel the psychedelic haze hanging over the melody, but this perfectly matches the alt-folk tones of the guitar. The melody is easy in the opening but gets a rush as the track continues, particularly as the chorus hits. The movement of the melody has you riding the waves of the track while the vocals delve into feelings of uncertainty. The lyrics are well worth a good listen as the poetic flow connects with you in a way you might not expect. Through the lyrics, he explores not only feelings of uncertainty, but what leads to them and how they affect us. This is displayed not only through the lyrics but through the melodic movement as well, with that rise and fall continuing throughout the track. At the end of the track, the repeated statement becomes like a mantra that sticks with you.
The abrupt ending of the first track allows the strummed opening of ‘What if What’s to come is the only Attraction’ to hit a little harder. That psychedelic haze that floated over the top layers of the opening track continues in this song, creating a thread that keeps everything connected. The vocals on this track are a little easier and have a gentler touch, but the lyrics continue the depths of exploration. There is a questioning feeling to the vocals and lyrics that makes you wonder about whether what is happening right now is as good as it gets. It is an interesting track because the lyrics could make you feel a little uncertain, but the combination of melody, lyrics and vocals creates something almost hopeful and optimistic. There is also a connection woven into the track that gives you a grounding force.
There is a harder hit of folk in the title track, ‘Held the Pulse’. The acoustic feeling of the opening gives this track an earthier feeling compared to the two that came before. While the haze is burned off by the folky tones, there is still something resting in the lower levels that connects all the tracks. As with the other tracks, there is a depth to the lyrics and the message of the song. This song delves into feelings of survival and what we have to do to get through life. This is a much more intimate and introspective track, which is a wonderful midpoint for the EP. The lower tones and layered vocals have you sinking into the richness of the soundscape. You can easily get lost in the movement of the melody and the way the vocals rise from between the lines of the guitar.
The sound of the EP takes a turn with ‘In Broad Daylight’. The strummed opening of the track has a nostalgic vibe to it that transports you to a city street, rain-soaked pavements and a weak sun trying to break through the clouds. This track also has a slower feeling to it that walks the line of slightly depressing and ensuring that you are seen. Through the questions of the lyrics, Traquair reaches through the soundscape to connect with every listener. Through the power of his vocal performance, he creates a song that feels like a conversation with someone who is telling you that they see you and questions where you feel things are going. This is all wrapped up in an engaging soundscape that you don’t really want to escape.
The EP comes to an end with ‘A Great Time to be Alive’ that brings a lighter and brighter energy. It is like the heaviness of the past two tracks is lifted and replaced with a sense of hope and optimism. This feeling is created by the lighter touch of the melody that sparkles with a brightness that feels lighter after the depths of the last track. The rich layering of the melody adds to the overall bolstering flow of the single. The lyrics match this optimism as they consider how things may not be as bad as we think they are. There is a feeling that the things we let bring us down could actually be something that lifts us up. It is a very uplifting track that takes a different path to bolster your spirits.
Through the 5 tracks of the EP, Traquair asks a lot of questions to get you thinking while also offering you a sense of optimism. The path through the tracks is great, as there is a link that leads you from one question to another, ending in the optimism of the final track. While each song can easily be a repeat track on its own, as a whole, the EP is a fantastic emotive journey that does leave you feeling lighter at the end of it.
Find out more about Traquair on his official website, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, SoundCloud and Bandcamp.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
