Posted on October 19, 2009 - by Mark Zonda

Trapped between cold beers and takoyaki

Not to  be confused with the indie cult from Albion “Tender Trap”, “The Temper Trap” comes right from the other side of the World (Melbourne, Australia) with an  awaited album that came after the brilliant EP debut more than three years ago (The Temper Trap EP). Album opens with “Love Lost”, and since the first seconds you can feel how classy and cleaver was the end who took care of the editing of this work. Just few moments and you can go through all the element who’s making indie music so acclaimed today: melanconic vintage keyboards warming cold void in an empty space (doing also the bass part, very brilliant), melancoly atmosphere soon broken by an exhotic latino handclapping, and then – after only 16 sec. – the song remains suspended to let the warm and androgin voice of Dougy Mandagi introduce us to the album.

And we’re instantly taken in a very familiar dangerous ground: THE EIGHTIES!! Or so it would be, if the nude guitar apreggios would balance the track between Trevor Horn and Chris Thomas, bringing some honesty to the work. The guys has just to be happy with Jim Abbiss, who worked with the goddamn UNKLE, Adele and Arctic Monkeys, with a little help from an appearance on the soundtrack of “500 Days of Summer”. The album continues balanced on the wave of  the  hit-parade with clubby songs like “Science Of Fear” that brings nothing new to music scenario, but do their work rolling the wheels of your car on an empty road to nowhere. Being said that “Fader” is a radio station masterpiece, is the sung of Dougy Mandagi to make the difference. When his yodeling gorgheggio meets the right charge and support from the rest of the band songs like “Rest” gots the power to kick some editors‘ asses being a little bit more than average coldplay. Ignoring any of my advices, album closes with… a “Drum Song”, that I’m sure it would be very effective as opening on the show, with a good roaring rhythmical balance between bass, guitar… and drum! In the end…  had after so many years “The Temper Trap” came out with a bunch of decent songs, a good recording, but – above all – a good production. This could have been as ace as Mika reaching out for The Ark. But what would have been the “Conditions”? Only fools would wake from their rest to break this science of fear.

The Temper Trap – “Drum Song”

Let it ring on...

• Driven by Devil (0)