EP Review: Trash Pillow – RAW

Published On: January 23rd, 2026|

2026 is increasingly finding humanity at war with itself, and more worryingly, reality. RAW is a fitting and surprisingly enjoyable soundtrack for that.

The EP hits hard right from the start, as Bombs Make Her LOL tells us the true story of a Syrian father who taught his daughter to laugh at bombs as a way to protect her from the horrors of war. Berliners Trash Pillow take it relatively easy on us sonically; their approach to blending noise and garage – rather like the father – is not fully exposing us to the cacophony of horrors around us.

Followed by Eyes On Us (It’s The Sound Of A Drone), the band heightens that contradiction between what we actually see and what we are told to see. Technology is being given more weight than our eyes, with the subliminal messaging that the only difference between us and the victims of war is that, for now, we’re not regarded as enough of a threat.

Trash Pillow don’t avoid how the present is not actually new, as on Fellow Traveller it looks to Germany’s history, the uncomfortable nature of the lyrics contrasted with the often-melodic guitar melody. It’s a dichotomy that also resides within She’s From A War, reminding us in its own way that technology making everything into entertainment.

Trash Pillow are obviously aware of the inherent contradictions within RAW: they detail crimes almost in real time, knowing that by documenting them, it sometimes allows an audience to distance itself from what is laid before it.

Cleverly using samples and leaning into that melodic side of garage rock doesn’t allow us to escape easily. The songs are indie rock at its most pertinent and, at times, indie-pop-centric. RAW shows us that you don’t always need to be angry to get your message heard and to resist what is happening around us. It’s smart, sharp, and engrossing music that will get you thinking.

RAW is out now and can be heard on Bandcamp and Spotify. Trash Pillow have an official EP release party on the 6th of February – head to their Facebook and Instagram profiles for more details.

Header photo by Andy Rumball