Living Space – Traces of You (Single Review)

Living Space is a musical collective founded several years ago and based in the US, Mt.View, California. The band has been on it for a while and has already released three self-produced full-length albums, more or less oriented at the folk and & rock fields.

With current releases, the spotlight has focused on one of the founding members of Living Space, Ronnie Cato, who stands as a crucial element in the group’s development. In the span of the last few years, he has been constantly uploading music to SoundCloud and Spotify and is currently on track to share the new upcoming album in 2025. However, in this review, we are going to take a look at one of his more pre-dominant sides of production and artistry that blends folk & singer-songwriter influences. 

So, without further ado, let’s get into it.

Living Space has tried itself in different sub-genres and directions, namely folk, R&B, and EDM, but it usually opts for folk, pushing boundaries with a slight touch of experimental tones. Today, we are going to take a look at “Traces of You,” which is a fusion of groove-infused folk rock with elements of chamber folk, largely due to the artist’s vocal delivery. 

Ronnie Cato immerses you in the haunting atmosphere, building up to a tension, which represents the moment when we reflect back to the moments in time when we are searching for a reason as to why things didn’t work but still know the explanation within. With Ronnie’s raw vocals and his smooth transition into the chorus, the emotions that he evokes within you seem representative of the overall melancholic soundscape. 

The track starts with more or less traditional folk and predominantly somber guitar chords, followed by sweet keys that incorporate an extra layer of sorrow to the song. The song’s inflexion, in this case, leans towards chamber pop, where the artist showcases intimacy, vulnerability, and sadness. Although the emotions evoked leave you quite invested, the nuanced control of vocals occasionally slips out of touch. While the clear intention is to deliver powerful emotional impacts through a more sincere and authentic sound, Ronnie’s vocals feel a bit too undone in some places. 

I appreciate the overall soundscape of the song, which demonstrates a certain inspiration or influence of Sufjan Stevens’s work and generally is greatly executed. However, the mixing of the vocals and the uncertain vocal balance overshadow the song’s affectionate side. 

I have also listened to other material from Living Space, such as “1:1000” and “Around You,” in which the band both deviates from the original folk style and I certainly feel as if this is the more progressive direction for them. As the sonic accompaniment of “Traces of You” does the job, it gives you the full room of space for rumination about the heartbroken melody, associating it with the grief.

The band aims to create a gloomy, agonizing atmosphere, and while the vocals attempt to reinforce these feelings, the execution falls short at times with noticeable vocal imbalance. In contrast, cases like “Around You,” one of the different singles that the band has posted, feature a more upbeat R&B soul atmosphere where the experimental chamber but energetic vocals sound notably better.

“Traces of You” might do the job as the sad song, but it would not certainly be my go-to. With an intriguing instrumental behind it, the vocals and mixing don’t strongly benefit the overall picture of the song.

Score/Mediocre: This song might hit the right note for someone at a particular time due to the solid bolstering of guitars and striking drums, but this is certainly not the best Living Space work that fully demonstrates the diversity of production and full potential. 

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