If you’ve ever listened to Trash Boat before now and decided they weren’t for you, it’s time to reconsider. This is a band that have taken their rule book and not just thrown it away, but torn it apart, set fire to it, and scattered the ashes at sea. Where before, it was all too easy to hear the influences of their (and our) teenage years at the forefront of their music, their latest venture, ‘Don’t You Feel Amazing?’ takes 100 steps in a different direction, each one allowing them to explore a new sound – and while they still might have a few hundred more steps to go, we’re really quite enjoying the journey.
It’s heavy, it’s gritty, it’s sexy, it’s sultry, it’s fierce and, most importantly, it’s raw, vulnerable, and relatable. If you’re looking for sonic references, think Muse, think Linkin Park, think Bring Me the Horizon and then think everything in between, and you might come within a few miles of what it is Trash Boat are bringing to the table this time around. It’s absolutely mental, sure, but it’s also completely brilliant.
While their new sound is clear and bold, tackled with absolute certainty, it’s not yet perfectly refined; in fact, it’s a long way off. In all honesty, ‘Don’t You Feel Amazing?’ is confusing and disjointed as the St Albans five-piece combine nu metal with metalcore and throw in an unexpected acoustic number for good measure, but what makes it so damn wonderful is that every avenue that’s explored is done so with such confidence that you believe every piece of it – every note, scream, word and beat – without batting an eye.
Maybe it’s the multi-faceted and newly matured talent of vocalist Tobi Duncan, or the newfound aggression showcased by guitarist Ryan Hyslop and drummer Oakly Moffatt – it’s hard to tell – but from the first notes of the opening title track, to the attitude fuelled collaboration with Wargasm’s Milkie Way, to the first really heavy track of the record, ‘Vertigo’, and beyond, you simply can’t help but be drawn into the new world that Trash Boat have created here. It’s an experiment, for sure, but anything outside the realms of the Very Pop Punk material that they’ve put out before could only ever really have been an experiment. What they’ve done is brave and has paid off immensely, catapulting them out of the box in which they might otherwise have always been confined had they not taken this leap of faith and trusted their gut. This album is an undeniable catalyst for their career.
If the singles haven’t already drawn in a new crowd, the release of ‘Don’t You Feel Amazing’ will easily see Trash Boat finding themselves drowning in new fans – those who were previously unconvinced, finding themselves tired of the pop punk trope and hoping for that little bit… more – as well as delighting loyal fans who’ve followed the band since day one. Today, Trash Boat have proven that they can carve a clearly defined path for themselves – one that you can’t help but want to follow blindly from this day forward.
‘Don’t You Feel Amazing?’ is Trash Boat finding their footing, old skool Vans firmly cemented in the foot holes of what has, until now, felt like something of a turbulent climb. And while they may be a way off the peak of their ascent, there’s no doubt in our minds that they’ll one day ring the bell at the top as they find exactly who they’re meant to be.
YASMIN BROWN