Trail – To the Rest of the World

The songs seem to follow the same pattern – they start well, have some great hooks, but then seem to lose their way and go on too long, becoming wearing and repetitive. The third track, ‘Forever Young’, is a prime example – solid backing, a funky bass line and drum beat instantly draws you in, and yet half way through I’m bored. Variation is attempted about two minutes in, but it is confused and out of place.

The album continues. More of the same. The solo of track four, ‘Back Home’, seems to avoid the ‘Forever Young’ problem, yet the song is unfortunately let down by weak vocals. It’s not even that it’s all that bad; I can’t fault the musicianship, it’s just the music itself. The talent is there, but they’re not using it. Now half way through the album. Oh go on guys, be different! Be interesting! I dare you…

By seventh track, ‘Fumes’, things finally start to pick up – why didn’t they do this earlier? This track is full of pounding energy, which, for a change, is maintained throughout the song. And it doesn’t go on too long. And ends with a bang. Great! More songs like this please! Track eight – ‘All Down’ – wish granted. Cool little minor sequence, I like it. But then... ah. A return to previous form. Shame.

Overall, a well balanced mix of the energetic and the melancholy, but this album still lacks something. At the moment, this is one of those lectures where the lecturer only has ten minutes of content yet somehow manages to make it last for an hour. It’s a body without a backbone, an essay without an argument; all the ingredients are there, they’re just putting them together wrong. And I’m going to stop talking now before I come out with more rubbishy metaphors and start sounding like Arlene Phillips. Shudder.

For those of you who want to judge for yourself, Trail are playing tonight (5th March) at Milo, Leeds.

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