The von Trapps: Dancing in Gold

You would be forgiven for believing that the von Trapps were just another cutesy indie band with a quirky throwback of a name, but the band is actually comprised of the four grandchildren of Werner von Trapp. The Trapp Family Singers, largely known for having inspired the immensely acclaimed The Sound of Music, are making their name known across a new generation with a slick amalgam of sonic imagery influenced by the likes of the Beach Boys, Fleet Foxes, and Françoise Hardy. The band embraces a positive image in their music not unlike what the Captain and Maria had first encapsulated now nearly an entire century ago. For instance, titular single “Dancing in Gold” envelopes itself around the idea that you shouldn’t be itching to grow old and form a successful pathway for yourself via the perks of seasoned adulthood, because taking life one step at a time will open the best doors in time. Their aforementioned influences are palpable around every corner, developing a light folk/pop sound all their own, featuring sweeping harmonies and an overall sunny disposition that remains infectious around every turn.

The EP is slick and emotive — a callback to times of old in its doo-woppy disposition, but with a more conscious lyricism and world awareness that remains beyond the collective’s years as a band and as human beings. For Sofia, Melanie, Amanda, and August, they’ve made all the right calls with their first EP, settling themselves far enough away from the family’s initial birthing place in music to the point that they form their own identities, but not without paying, perhaps subconsciously, respects to their strong ancestry.