Trupa Trupa “Headache’
Alternative Rock from Gdansk, Poland, Trupa Trupa combine unsettling tones with just enough melody and pop nous to draw the listener right in to the midst of the swirling 90s alt rock atmosphere their new album Headache successfully creates. “Snow” opens proceedings with a heavy groove, teetering on the brink of a loss of control. Single “Halleyesonme” (watch the video above) takes things in a lower key, more atmospheric direction, whilst “Wasteland”, a particular highlight, shimmers and crunches in equal measure. “Getting Older” is discordant and hard work, but ultimately deeply satisfying. It needs concentration, but the best music should demand focus from the listener. Conversely. “Unbelievable” is almost lovely, an open-strummed pop song with real depth. This is the point with Trupa Trupa. They plough their own furrow, almost daring you to join in with them.
Released on UK label Blue Tapes, this is their third album. An album that rewards repeated listens, and a band that I have no doubt would go down well on the UK festival circuit. Never settling for simply one style, this runs the gamut of noise-rock. Impressive drums from Tomek Pawluczuk punctuate the album. Really though, this is a challenging but inspiring listen. This is the sound of an exciting new band deserving of attention.
Lewis and Leigh “Missing Years EP”
Taking things in a completely different direction, here is the second EP from Ava Lewis and Al Leigh, the sublime “Missing Years”. This one really caught me off guard. Sounding like the kind of thing that would be on show at the Bluebird in Nashville, opening salvo “Devil’s in the Detail” has been getting some love on BBC 6Music, and it’s no surprise. It’s basically a perfect song. The chord progressions are wonderful, there’s enough going on underneath it all to catch your ear unawares as layers are subtly built in, but more than that, the vocal interplay between the aforementioned Lewis and Leigh is just right. The demise of The Civil Wars was much mourned in these parts. It would be cheap to mark out Lewis and Leigh as a potential follower in their footsteps. if anything, this song is proof positive that they have it in them to far exceed the achievements of that band (keep being nice to each other guys). I suppose having the production team behind Laura Marlings’ recent album doesn’t hurt, but the best production team in the world can’t make something out of nothing. The raw materials on offer from Lewis and Leigh are startling. They should be massive in a fair world. “Late Show” swings and slinks its way through a honky-tonk workout. “Rubble” begins with a glorious guitar tone. It’s the kind of tone that forces the listener to smile. There’s no other way to describe it. A paean to lost hopes of love, this song is another beauty. Closing with a cover of Coldplay’s “Spies” could have been a mis-step, but it is so strong that, were the song not already so well known, it could pass as one of their own. I can’t think of higher compliment to pay to a cover than that. My only complaint is that the inclusion of a cover denies us the chance to hear more from the pen of Lewis and Leigh. As this is their second EP, we can only hope that a full-length, with its opportunities to stretch and show songwriting breadth, is to follow shortly.