LOS ANGELES, CA- Trestles’ latest single “Babylon” isn’t just another nod to California’s surf-rock lineage — it’s a lyrical snapshot of disillusionment, identity, and the restless cycles of youth culture. Where the band’s sun-drenched instrumentation leans into Santa Cruz’s coastal DNA, the words themselves cut sharper, threading sarcasm with social commentary.
The opening lines, “This side of town is rubbing off on me / I’ve learned to hold my tongue,” set the stage with quiet resignation. There’s a sense of someone adapting to their surroundings, yet losing pieces of themselves in the process. Trestles capture that uneasy balance between fitting in and feeling muted, a familiar tension for anyone who’s had to bend to their environment.
The refrain “This ain’t no Persia, this ain’t no Babylon” becomes the song’s foundational statement. By invoking ancient centers of grandeur and collapse, vocalist Hunter Kelly undercuts the self-importance of small-town drama. The sparring boys, the onlooking girls… the lyric reduces these social rituals to something less mythic, but no less human. It’s a clever flip: the world might feel monumental, but it’s still just kids jockeying for attention in a coastal town.
I also dig the lyrics having to do with work and the escape therefrom: “We make our wage in the afternoon / We’ve spent it all by nine.” It’s a snapshot of life in two lines: fleeting money, fleeting highs, fleeting stability. Trestles don’t glamorize it, but they don’t dismiss it either. The tone is observational. It’s a wry acceptance of how quickly the day’s efforts can disappear into dust and noise.
The most repeated refrain, though, is the haunting “I’m doing time in a borrowed ride.” On the surface, it’s simple… driving around in someone else’s car. But its repetition turns it into a metaphor for confinement. Life moves forward, but it’s not really yours. You’re preoccupied, trapped, and waiting for something bigger than the borrowed moment you’re stuck inside… while stuck somewhere that perhaps you don’t want to be.
In my humble opinion, the lyrics of “Babylon” showcase why Trestles deserve to be on your radar. There’s wit in their sarcasm, weight in their observations, and heart in their storytelling. They may draw from the sounds of the garage and the surf, but lyrically, they’re reaching for something more timeless. I may be reaching a bit, but that’s how I see it: the travails of growing up, fitting in, and finding meaning in the in-between. Good stuff.
“Babylon” is the fourth single from Trestles’ upcoming album SALT, which comes out September 26, 2025.
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2025 Tour Dates
September 12 -Denver, CO – The Back Buzzard
September 13 – Boulder, CO -Velvet Elk Lounge
September 17-Phoneix, AZ – The Rebel Lounge
September 20 – Costa Mesa, CA – The Wayfarer
September 27 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst
October 9 – Reno, NV – The Holland Project
October 10 – Sacramento, CA – Cafe Colonial
November 15- San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the HIll
November 20 – San Diego, CA – Winstons Beach Club
November 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Gold-Diggers
