Trinity Roots: Citizen (Trinity Roots/Rhythmethod)

 |   |  <1 min read

Trinity Roots: El Kaptain
Trinity Roots: Citizen (Trinity Roots/Rhythmethod)

Those many of us who believed the two albums by the first incarnation of Trinity Roots were important statements about life here in Aotearoa will be disappointed – if not insulted – by this superbly produced but woefully undercooked album.

There are frequently threadbare lyrics (“We got to find the diamond in the rough” is the least of it) and it's mostly dated prog-rock with overtones of MOR-LA jazz-lite or faux-soul.

The crunch'n'quiet King Crimson shapes of Bully is followed by the piano jazz-cum-reggae groove and inane lyrics of the 11 minute Citizen about some imagined, boastful wealthy type (“but you don't even know your neighbours” sing the soul-gal Greek chorus before the flute and sax solos) which barely moves beyond cliché.

The overriding political ethos revolves around crayon-like drawings of the soulless rich in superyachts, hapless citizens under the thumb of some “Kaptain” (PM Key “heading too far to starboard. To a fission”?) and/or the “Governor” (“Governor shepherds me like a helpless bovine”).

Playing the victim in slow-tempo prog-plod is hardly appealing.

This sounds good but delivers fewer barbs than it thinks it does, is replete with ponderous prog-rock dubby tropes and attempts to be portentous in its socio-political intent (Hercules, Haiku).

So, it's a “No” from me.

Share It

Your Comments

post a comment

More from this section   Music at Elsewhere articles index

Kasey Chambers: Little Bird (Liberation)

Kasey Chambers: Little Bird (Liberation)

Almost a decade ago this Australian singer-songwriter penned Not Pretty Enough, a penetrating chart-topper about self-doubt. The title track here sounds like its rejoinder with the wisdom of... > Read more

JJ Cale: Roll On (Warners)

JJ Cale: Roll On (Warners)

Cale has always made a kind of mood music, for the back porch usually. So while this album offers few surprises (his lyrics still aren't his strong point, but if it ain't broke) the subtle... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

Dub Spencer and Trance Hill: Riding Strange Horses (Echo Beach/Yellow)

Dub Spencer and Trance Hill: Riding Strange Horses (Echo Beach/Yellow)

Those who know their spaghetti westerns and love a bit of dubbery will welcome this new installment from the Swiss band Spencer/Hill (aka bassist Marcel Stalder, guitarist Markus Meier, keyboard... > Read more

THERE'S GOOD ROCKIN' TONIGHT (2014): The music that reshaped the world

THERE'S GOOD ROCKIN' TONIGHT (2014): The music that reshaped the world

Because Fifties rock'n'roll music is rarely heard these days -- and on the rare occasions it is, the music is utterly decontextualised – it's hard to imagine what a revolution it was for... > Read more