Hit Pick

The members of Phantom Trigger, Thursday, May 10, at the 15th Street Tavern, with Regular and Mercy Ride, don’t mince words: The majority of the tunes on the band’s self-titled CD are instrumentals; when words do percolate to the top of the dense sound mix, they are usually little more than whispers, the hint of phrases that sometimes sound like ritual incantations. The idea seems to be that the music, which on the recording is produced entirely by guitarist/vocalist Brian Fausett and drummer Todd Discher, speaks for itself. With trace elements of surf, gothic guitar rock and driving punk psychedelia, Phantom Trigger comes at you sideways. It is a bombastic, swirling dervish of noise; it’s a little bit scary, sometimes chaotic — and really well done. This is music that sounds great coming through headphones, treating the ears to a banquet of sounds. A live setting, though, is the best place to experience a band with this kind of visceral power. With the addition of former Superbuick bassist Eli Proctor, Phantom Trigger has become a trio to be reckoned with.