Sandman by Trudy and the Romance Album Review
Trudy’s music is hard to pin down at first; there’s ‘funky punk’ or ‘bluesy garage’, but neither capture their essence quite as clearly as their own description of “50s mutant pop”. In a time when bands can make-up their own genre, as realistically as taking on one of the already given options, I think that often they can become too specific; so nuanced that it becomes a joke. It has become a bit of a meme to over-categorize, but Trudy’s self-given genre makes sense, more than any I could have given them. Sandman is a first-rate album, regardless of label. Oliver Taylor’s voice is classic and it is thoroughly enjoyable to listen to, even if all you listen to is doo wop, Buddy Holly, or The Vaccines; which isn’t a sentence I could say about any other punk/garage band I know. Trudy and the Romance’s sound has an air of whimsy and innocence characterized by the 50s, but it’s juxtaposed by the heavy modern influences in their lyrics and garage punk elements to their music. This album would be the perfect companion for any trip home from the office on the bus or the train (or however you travel), keeping you confident and making you want to dance a little (definitely a foot tapper at least), and blocking out the noises that often plague one’s commute in the early evening. Best enjoyed with a playful sense of nostalgia and an open mind.
Rating:7/10
RIYL: The Vaccines, Youth Sector, Blue Bendy
Favorites: My Baby’s Gone Away, Sandman, Midnight’s Blue Girl
