I do get cynical with comparisons, particularly repeated ones. The two that I see most are XTC and The Replacements. Most are nothing like them or maybe for just one song. However, I've been fortunate this week. Having written about a band that are so latter day XTC, I now have the Trash Kickers who revitalise the spirit of The Mats.
Chicago quartet Trash Kickers have fashioned up an awesome debut album. It is wonderfully loose, but never leaves the melody. A little noisy but built on killer singalong choruses. Songs are not just built on riffs, they are built on competing memorable riffs.
I've seen then called Power Pop, but they are only so if bands like Cheap Trick are. In that they have the prerequisites of the genre, but are much more Rock orientated. They can also change direction. Angel for instant is nearer Classic Rock, The Black Crowes spring to mind and the shared vocal with Elizabeth Moen works beautifully.
No Danger is the nearest they get to Power Pop, but Nothing Left has a wonderful Jangle to it. Wild Stab is pure Americana, reminds me a lot of Deer Tick. They also know how to close an album, Graduation Girl perfectly sums up what the band are about, really really Mats.
The Album Release show has built a big reputation about how good a Live band they are. You can imagine how well the album went down. They are at their best when the riffs are ringing out. Fly Or Die, Come Undone and What A Waste are great examples of this, the riffs drill into your head.
The band are a sum of their parts, locking in wonderfully and front man Tyler Franklin leads proceedings with a vocal that urges you to Rock, but also handles and underlines the melodic choruses. It is becoming a great year for debut albums. This is one of the best.
You can listen to and buy the album here.
..................
No comments:
Post a Comment