I made the mistake of listening to Steel Train’s ‘Trampoline’ for the first time without headphones on. As I said, that was a mistake.
Upon second listen ‘ this time with headphones ‘ I was blown away. I couldn’t believe it was the same band that put out 2005’s mediocre ‘Twilight Tales from the Prairies of the Sun.’
Their sound has changed from an incredibly mellow, boring pop to flashy, in-your-face upbeat indie pop rock with vocals similar to The Arcade Fire.
The CD starts off incredibly strong. The third track, ‘Kill Monsters in the Rain,’ is by far my favorite of the album. The rhythmic and melodic song has everything going for it, from strong chords to tight vocals and fun lyrics; this song is the breakaway hit of the album.
Adding to the power of ‘Kill Monsters in the Rain’ is Nate Ruess, the lead singer of the indie pop band The Format, on backup vocals. Ruess’s normally loud, twanged voice is subdued, does not overpower the lead vocals, yet he still makes his presence known.
‘Kill Monsters in the Rain’ is one of the best songs I’ve ever seen performed live. The energy the band produced in the studio to make this tight album is so much different from the free-flowing energy experienced at live shows.
The first seven tracks are all particularly strong in their own way, another standout being ‘Alone on the Sea.’ The song’s lyrics are open for the listener’s interpretation; however, hasn’t everybody felt ‘lonely like a sailor on the sea’?
After ‘A Magazine,’ the record starts to blur together, maybe just because I’m anxious to get back to the beginning, but it seems the start of the record is definitely stocked with the stronger songs, leading to it fizzling out. While the songs aren’t bad, they’re just not as catchy as the first seven.
‘Trampoline’ is on its way to being fantastic, if only the second half of the CD was as powerful as the first.
If you’re still on the fence, Steel Train will be touring in the area. On Nov. 8 they will be at Bowery Ballroom in New York City and at Water Street Music Hall in Rochester on Nov. 9.