On the Sunny, Textured “Surrender,” Jax Band Ducats Resists and Combats Emotional and Artistic Stasis

Since relocating to Jacksonville from Chicago, musician Trent Holton has seamlessly embedded himself in the local scene – while also arguably doing as much as an interloper could to invigorate that same scene. After introducing his Ducats (pronounced duh-kits) project with a collection of primal, DIY garage tunes, Glob, in 2022, Holton’s band has, in short order, become one of the more active regional units, performing often at local venues and festivals like Winterland, while picking up occasional out-of-town gigs. 

On the colorful new single, “Surrender,” Holton expands Ducats’ sonic flamingo flower. While Holton’s guitar leads remain applaudedly primitive, “Surrender” is sunnier and more textured than those of Glob’s more primordial offerings. Buoyed by watercolor smears of ambient noise, a splashy ride and Holton’s reverb-drench vocals, the song speaks to a heightened emotional intelligence, both lyrically and sonically. 

Meanwhile, the tune’s chill, lo-fi production and languid tempo shouldn’t be mistaken for apathy. On “Surrender,” Ducats proves itself a band resistant to both interpersonal incompetence and creativity on autopilot.