“Where Pansy is about becoming a person, the Skin Graft EP is about being one, Vivian says, and balancing ordinary struggles with the existential crisis of living in a country that’s grown wildly hostile to transgender people…” (from the Bandcamp release page)

This Pansy foursome from Seattle, led by Vivian McCall, presents an eclectic blend of jangle-edged sounds on a Skin Graft EP that explores the challenges of navigating a non-trans-friendly society while steadfastly avoiding self-pity.

The opening triple salvo highlights the vibrancy of some of the most notable acts from both the past and present. The opener, “Mercy, Kill Me”, envelops each note in a dulcet Dunedin Sound atmosphere, merging the chime of The Chills with a slightly fuzzed beauty that augments the lucid jangle-pop found in Hanemoon or The Radio Field.

Following this, a power-pop modernity penetrates the core of the EP. The fuzzy, gloriously lo-fi power pop of “Walk Dangerous (Chasers)”  recalls the recent Victims of the New Math aesthetic before yielding to a more playful, psych-pop melody in “I’m Coming” that has the spirit of C86 existentialism.

The tracks that elicit the most emotion are the closing numbers, “By My Side” and “Dark Star.” Drifting with languid melancholy and supported by subtle neo-acoustic riffs, these tracks resonate with introspection as she searches for meaning in a relationship and grapples with her inner darkness. The female Elliott Smith if you will.

Ultimately, this EP serves as a grower, likely to resonate with a profound sense of meaning for anyone willing to invest time in it.

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