ROYAL TRUX – YOU’RE
GONNA LOSE (HUT)
This is the dirty
sound of sorrow. I found the CD single
in the bargain bin at Andy’s Records back in the day which feels an apt place
to make such a discovery.
Royal Trux is a rare
positive combination of indie rock and the blues. The sadness feels vengeful not victim. This is a hard act, not an easy fix. There is no such thing as an easy fix.
“You’re Gonna Lose”
comes saddled with sad notes. Its
delivery feels like an aftermath, like the quivering meander of a defeatist
internal monologue echoing the message the world strikes us down with. It does however offer space for the
protagonist to switch/turn tables and be the one performing the scolding and
dismantling of hopes. In defence comes offence
when an individual finds themselves cornered, not least when Jennifer Herrema
emphasises “I’m talking to you”.
This is the sort of
song you need in your pocket when you’re wounded. As Herrema makes various statements and
declarations she is immediately shot down by associated guitar licks which
eventually override into vocal/verbal retorts from Neil Hagerty and the
others. It’s all about beating the
individual down and bursting bubbles.
When JFK is mentioned it is with disillusion. Then towards the end you can literally feel
the effort that is put into the last large lick. It’s a hard life.
On the other side the
vibrant “Hibiscus” benefits from loose informal percussion and dense distortion
in guitar accompanying the Herrema snarl before all breaks out into jam while a
live version of “Hot And Cold Skulls” recorded by the BBC conjures up visions
of burnt summer Saturday afternoons on the festival circuit.
Who knew we had it so
good?
Thesaurus moment:
mislay.
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