(Firstly, I have to salute this band for having a comma in their myspace name. I have lamented the lack of punctuation in music for a long time now. The genius is always in the detail people.)
This lot (TFTR, that is) are a brummie four piece and this is their debut album. And, I would say, they are a punk rock band trapped in the body of four Fall of Troy wannabes. Why do I say this? Not because I’m a miserable as sin reviewer. No, I would call this ‘image conscious punk’. The cover reminds me massively of the Fall of Troy album (you know the one, the one with that song that everyone knows on it), they like to drop in a bit of their sound; but it’s a veneer over what is a solid punk band. Now, this is a dangerous path to tread. Many have done so and failed dismally. TRTR, however, do it real well.
The singer reminds me a lot of the geezer from Dead To Me. The music is, at times, very No Idea records. The screaming is tastefully used. And they know that it’s better to have a good song than a dull one with some twiddley guitar in it. They seem to wear their influences on their sleeve – Cable are in the top friends on their myspace, and you can see quite easily that this lot come from that direction, but enjoy a good bit of current stuff too.
I would say this is well worth a listen. If only because this band actually aren’t afraid to mix up old and current sounds, trendy and not trendy, cheap haircuts and ridiculously overpriced ones.
Mike
