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Monday, 3 September 2018

TRAMPOLENE - You've Got to Pick A Pocket or Two (Album Review)

Welsh indie-punk rock trio Trampolene from Swansea follow their debut album, From Swansea to Hornsey with 28 track compilation album You've Got to Pick A Pocket or Two. The album is a compilation of songs and poems covering all sorts of different topics ranging from love ballads to rebellion and the album endures a stream full of emotion throughout, the tracks are collected from their early mini albums and EP's.

You've Got to Pick A Pocket or Two will be released on September 7th and it features covers such as an innocent, fun tribute to The Cure's 'Friday I'm In Love' on side one - Loud. There is a softer attempt of The Smiths - 'Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want' (which is already available to listen to here) as well as a rock rendition of Leonard Cohen's classic folk track 'Tonight Will Be Fine' on side two - Quiet.

The album is divided in two, just like that. Loud and Quiet. Side one is full of punchy punk tracks like 'My Bourgeoisie Girl', and a commemoration to hustler and crook 'Tom Hardy' showing a level of admiration towards him, claiming multiple things like... "He played the bass for the White Stripes then he quit the band, he can even play Jimi Hendrix with one hand. He builds robots for NASA, he found the cure for cancer, his mum's a fit belly dancer..." for example to then go on to repetitively chant "I wanna be Tom Hardy!" in a celebratory fit of punk rage.

"Does this make you happy ? The sons and daughters of some of London's top people seem to find wealth something of a burden" a news reporter says in a crackly prologue on 'Camden Mannequins' a speaker-testing track protesting against the privileged with its frantic drumming from Rob Steele and thundering riffs from both, Wayne Thomas on bass and Jack Jones on lead guitar and vocals.

Loud closes off with 'Swansea to Hornsey', a track about leaving your hometown, packing up a rucksack and a suitcase, and just escaping; it's a more calm, toned down affair in preparation for what is to come on side two, Quiet.

Side two brings you 'Newcastle Brown Love Song', a melancholic 60s psychedelic inspired track "Do you still want to love me now? Frankly my dear I couldn't give a damn if I died tomorrow. If i die tomorrow, can you love me for who I am?" As well as other ballads like, 'No One's Got Love Like We Got', a romantic apology for being overly smitten and proposal as Jack attempts to swoon and pursue a relationship in 'Red Sky Sings', and already released track 'She Sits With Me' an acoustic track dedicated to a woman who helps to listen to Jack on his dark days and calms him down and relaxes him by keeping him company, sitting with him.

The last four tracks are poems written and spoken by lead singer Jack Jones; 'Health and Wellbeing (At Wood Green Job Centre)', a descriptive honest poem that rolls off Jacks tongue as he has a political discussion on zero hour contracts working for minimum wage, and false hopes. 'To Be A Libertine' features snippets of Pete Doherty, Gary, John, Carl , and fans from around the world proudly claiming "I know what it means to be a libertine". 'Saving My Life In A&E' talks of Jack's own battles with mental health, panic attacks and how the NHS saved his life followed by a child-like nonsense short poem about a 'Slug' which seals the album.

Trampolene take you through a whirlwind of mixed emotions within Pick A Pocket or Two, it can be simultaneously serious, witty, and funny whilst keeping you confused in the meantime. Not to be missed, and not to be mislead, even though there is 28 tracks, each one of them is worth a listen.

For details of their upcoming tour or any further updates of their album, visit their Facebook / Twitter / Instagram and YouTube and the album will be available to stream via all music streaming sites.






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