Trust Fund - Has It Been A While? LP

LP version. Trust Fund, the musical project of singer-songwriter Ellis Jones, returns with a fifth album, Has It Been A While?, recorded in Sheffield by producer and close friend Joe Mackenzie Todd. Fans of Jones' delicate, funny, relatable songwriting will know that yes, it has been a while. The 2018 LP Bringing the Backline -- which received praise from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, and more -- coincided with Jones calling time on Trust Fund, as band members began their own families, and he moved to Norway (and then on to Canada) to begin a career in academia. His return reflects a realization that his music-making days continue to stretch out before him, and marks the development of a mature style that offers both continuity and change. While previous Trust Fund albums have foregrounded a fuzzy, indie-rock aesthetic, on Has It Been A While? Jones strips his songs down to classical guitar and vocals, supported by captivating string quartet arrangements provided by Maria Grig. Fans of seventies singer-songwriters, and in particular Nick Drake's first two Joe Boyd-produced albums, will find much to recommend here, while Belle and Sebastian's early folk-inflected material is another obvious touchstone. Elsewhere on the record, the title track itself evokes both the spirit and simplicity of Chet Baker's "I Get Along Without You Very Well." Has It Been A While? marks the culmination of Trust Fund's return to activity, following the low-key release of five single tracks across 2022 and 2023.