Sunday 10 April 2011

"and the trophy for best cover band goes to..."


music >> gig review >> trophy wife >> madame jo jo's >> 04.04.11

like foals? yup? well then this band might be right up your street. or maybe not…


last monday i was invited to see trophy wife headline ‘showcase presents’ at madame jo jo’s in soho, london. also on the bill were jackson scott’s flamenco band mano de dios and big chorused indie essex boys i dream in colour. i went into the evening full of anticipation for trophy wife, unfortunately i came away feeling, hmm, slightly awkward.


trophy wife, like foals are from oxford. trophy wife, like foals engage in a self-conscious stage presence. trophy wife, like foals play a tense intricate disco math rock that often builds from a pin drop to an all out knee jerking panic. the similarities could go on. if foals did not exist and trophy wife were delivering such modern sounds for an unsuspecting wishful first time audience, they’d be labelled as interesting - not fantastic, but at the very least an interesting sound. the fact that every high fret note, every vocal and every awkward stage advance reminded me of yannis et al marks trophy wife down as a band lacking identity. worryingly because they’re from oxford and they’ve actually supported foals on tour, it makes trophy wife seem, well a little creepy.


the sound in madame jo jo’s wasn’t tip-top; often the vocals struggled to project once in full swing, while the sparse crowd supplemented what was already a difficult inspection. i wanted to enjoy trophy wife, i really did. i’d read some relative hype, heard their ‘microlite’ single and had previously been told of the foals comparison, but I had no idea it would be quite so palpable. having fallen in love with the sounds of oxfordshire over the last few years through the brilliance of songs such as ‘spanish sahara’ and ‘two steps, twice’, i couldn’t help but feel unresponsive to a blatant replica. thankfully, the gypsy beats of mano de dios and the passion and authenticity of i dream in colour saved the night from feeling like a cheesy, drunken monday night of karaoke in soho.


5/10

Wednesday 6 April 2011

nice guys finish last


music >> album review >> singing adams >> everybody friends now

when critically acclaimed the broken family band split, the obvious progression was for head honcho and talented songwriter steven adams to fill our ears at some point in the future. 'everybody freinds now' marks adams' return to said ear filling with the debut album from his new band singing adams (not to be confused with steven's first post-tbfb project the singing adams). this first unveiling hints at the acclaim adams had previously found while at the same time illustrating the limitations a new band treading water for the first time, might face.

the album opens with 'move on', a belle & sebastian-esque number that plods along at a pleasant pace but doesn't offer much to seize the listener, neither inspiring nor offending. come the second track and debut single 'i need your mind', the introductory drums and guitar hint at a darker, moodier and more memorable side to singing adams' sound, but such shady echoes are quickly contradicted with the addition of adam's clean-as-a-whistle vocal delivery. 'bird on a wing' is the band's latest single but again it flirts with being too 'nice', the dreamy lyrics only boosted by some plucky lead guitar.

some of the standout moments from the album are when their shadowy side is explored; songs filled with cruel, witty and bitter lyrics while often propelled by an injection of pacey guitars bring this album to life. songs such as 'spit at the sea' and 'injured party' stand out from the crowd by simply having bit of a kick to them, while 'red carpet', a sour message of 'pissing life away' is one of the best songs on the album but is crying out for adams to add the roar the lyrics deserve.

singing adams obviously have the talent and song writing expertise evidenced by the members who have previously represented the broken family band and wet paint, but this album seems a little plain in places when it should be making a bigger impression. lyrics often seem lost, songs seem to long and there is not enough variation. what singing adams do have in their favour though is musical pasts and the few songs that hint at a chart friendly indie sound that could see them find their place and their sound, which will undoubtedly make everyone want to be their friends.

6/10