Trolley - A Carnival Of Grey And White

 

I was talking to a friend about the dying days of Anything Should Happen. He thought I was through with the net, I did too. So he was surprised at my return. I stopped ASH because of tiredness of the Facebook groups I was in being full of participants telling everyone how crap all new music was. So IDHAS became a reaction, covering solely New Music, but with an ability to compare the new to the old.

I mention this because one of the very first reviews on the fledgling I Don't Hear A Single was Trolley's Caught In The Darkness. I can't take credit for Trolley, that was Power Pop Overdose's Curt Vance. One of the few still around from that time. He provides similar support to the knew that here does.

I never thought it would take 9 years to get another Trolley album, but tragedy intervened. Recording this follow up was halted in 2021 by the death of Mike Perotto. As part of the process of getting over Mike's death. Paul J Wall and Terry Hackbarth have meticulously finished the album, staying faithful to those sessions and the three decade of the band.

This is great Power Pop, still rooted in 60s Guitar Pop that strays into the Pop Rock of the 70s. The Psych Pop is less pronounced and the 60s sounding synths a little more abundant, but the whole album lyrically feels like a heartfelt tribute to Perotto.

There's even the addition of Brass on a couple of the songs which adds to the enjoyment rather than feeling gratuitous. The title track opens proceedings with a Telstar feel to the synth run, it could have been a Joe Meek production.

That is bookmarked by the closer, Since The Drugs Wore Off. A song that is dark lyrically, moody and magnificent 70s Pop Rock in touch with the New Wave, all to a Power Pop Drum Beat. In between you witness the Jangle Pop, almost Merseybeat, of As Long As I Can Find You.  Radio Silence has some wonderful Psych Pop Guitar to enjoy.

Starlight could be a Show Song if it weren't for the 60s overtone in the harmonies and the wonderful Brass. Leaving You Behind is great UK New Wave and the Psych Pop of Shiny Cars melts my heart. The Face you Brazened is Bowie-esque, splendidly moody and melancholic. All in all this is a great tribute and an album stands up in its own right.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl, CD and as a download.

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Trolley - Caught In The Darkness

My good friend Curt Vance at the badly missed Power Pop Overdose has long been a supporter of Milwaukee's Trolley and as usual he's right. Trolley are a one band Power Pop compilation.You name it, they can do it, it sounds familiar, yet it's distinctively their own.

The 60's Psych Pop of Thursday Girl, the Mod Pop of the title track, Step Into The Clear is pure Paisley Pop. Crying All The Time is Brit Beat at it's best. She Has It All is vintage psych of Dukes Of Stratosphear vintage.





All The Way is 70's US New Wave, Losing That Madly In Love is Syd Barrett Pink Floyd like or something you'd hear at the UFO Club. We All Fall Down starts off like mid 60's Beat, but ends up being very Shazam era Move. The Kids All Sing is late 70's UK New Wave. She Helps Me Celebrate starts with an Another Girl Another Planet style riff.





The closing track, Take My Love is even more different, seven and a half minutes of pure Heavy Psych, mesmerising in a Luck Of Eden Hall way.

Caught In The Darkness is a splendid album, I must catch up on the rest of Trolley's stuff, just as you can do. If I had one slight criticism, it is that the drum sound can get a bit irritating at times, but that's a minor when you compare it to how good this album is.

You can listen to the album and buy it for download or on CD here. You can also catch up on the band's back catalogue at the same place.