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Tender Trap press |
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This page includes all the press we had received up to the end of 2003. More recently, though, Jimmy at Matinee Recordings has proven himself to be far more competent at collecting coverage than we are, so all recent press appears on his website instead. For reviews of the new album '6 Billion People', go to: http://www.indiepages.com/matinee/catalog/cd040.html. For reviews of our recent CDEP 'Language Lessons EP', go to: http://www.indiepages.com/matinee/catalog/058.html. And for interviews, go to: http://www.indiepages.com/matinee/artists/tendertrap.html. Do let us know if he misses anything though. Also note that Tender Trap are willing interviewees! [NB We have made copies of reviews below to overcome unstable links (apologies to copyright holders), but have also put in stable links to the original publications wherever possible.] |
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Neumu.net Pennyblack |
Reviews of lFilm Molecules' LP Musicboom (Italian) Think Small fanzine (Dutch) |
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Single reviews Vido's Logzine (Dutch)
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Ink19, July 2002 issue - Review by Phil Bailey Sounding a bit like an unholy alliance between Blondie and The Magnetic Fields, Tender Trap has a bubbly synth-pop sound that is so infectious the CD should carry a warning label. The songs on Film Molecules are instantly likable and feel so very familiar without being merely retreads of better material. The trio, made up of members from Heavenly and Marine Research, certainly know their pop. Film Molecules is probably not an album "serious" musicians are going to sit around and analyze and discuss the timbre of the singer's voice or the radical new chord progressions. No it's the album for people on the go. It's a freeway sing along, dance in your underwear on a hot summer night kind of record. [back to top] Splendid E-zine, 13 July 2002 issue - Review by Stephen Palkot Film Molecules is a musical journey that begins with the fifties and continues into the present day. Centered around long-time K Records musician Amelia Fletcher, who in the past has been a part of Talulah Gosh, Heavenly and Marine Research, the Tender Trap explores a wide variety of styles and sounds from James Bond spy guitars to wistful lounge cheese, surf rock and eighties-bounce electro-pop. However, the Tender Trap offer more than just a showboaty hybrid record; the music's various elements are expertly tempered by the decidedly modern touch of DJ Downfall, exploring the juncture between classic pop rock structures and the textures and experimentation of modern electronic and DJ work. The ironically titled opener "Fin" begins with a distant and nostalgic audio clip that sounds like a French film, with an eerie orchestral sample adding texture. The song's enveloping shoegazer guitars and Fletcher's stretched out, languid vocals seamlessly integrate electro and pop elements, with pleasurable results. On the more danceable side is the album's first single, "Face of 73", which features a steady-boppin', eighties-style synth beat, over which Fletcher affects a haughty, glamorous vocal delivery: "Then he takes my photograph, tells a joke and makes me laugh, puts me in a gallery for everyone to see." At the breakout of the chorus, Fletcher lets loose, using brilliant vocal dubs to create an enveloping and liberating atmosphere. "Talk in Song" explores a melodramatic, loungy sound, utilizing surf guitars drenched with enough reverb to suggest waves crashing on a beach. On "Dyspraxic", the group takes a crack at the punchy, sub-one-minute song, but the pithy tune doesn't quite live up the high mark set by Guided By Voice's 22-second "Hit". Guest spotters may want to skip ahead to "Love is Red/Green", which features the unmistakable mark of K Records kingpin Calvin Johnson, whose simple, disjointed guitar sound and playful lyrics on the subject of love prove as delightful as ever. Film Molecules isn't a typical electro/rock hybrid; it certainly won't elicit the same response as Le Tigre or Chicks on Speed. The Tender Trap construct their music with a heavy emphasis on the song-form and the pop sparkle, and their efforts make for far more comfortable listening. [back to top] Stylus Magazine, 1 Aug 2002 issue - Review by Hans H Uhad Tender Trap, a 3 piece hailing
from the pasty hillsides of Mother England, have not only displayed an admirable
songwriting dynamic and natural pop sensibility on their debut release, Film
Molecules, but they have also forced a reviewer to get his head most of the way
out of his ass. An assured, energetic mixture of dense Magnetic Fields style
retro synth pop, wistful, shimmering keyboard programming and straight up punk
pop, Film Molecules made me look at some of my pretensions about pop music,
laugh, and then forget them under the influence of the charming hooks littered
all over this record. Tender Trap's proposed modus operandi when starting out
was to eschew live performance, keep all tracks under 2 minutes whilst making a
conscious effort to stay away from excessive choruses and middle 8's. Though
Marine Research and Heavenly, the trio's former bands, had drummers, studio's
and a less linear approach to the song, the bands self-professed desire to go
'backwards' this time around has produced excellent results. An offer from The
Magnetic Fields to support them in Dublin quickly ruined the trio's live plan,
but the lack of repeated chorus' and the usually absent middle 8's make these 13
tracks brief, tight and at times, ridiculously catchy. Only the last track
("You are gone {so you should go}") overstays it's welcome, with an
unnecessary 3 minutes of uninspired keyboard beats and blurting synths following
the typically well executed 3 minutes of sharp, literate pop. Supported by raw
and assured production, Film Molecules would never be described as
"groundbreaking", but the chops displayed here are undeniable and
while their take on lean, non-lobotomized pop is unique and totally enjoyable,
its fairly obvious Tender Trap are not trying to induce existential wonderment
in the listener. Tangents, July 2002 issue - Review by Alistair Fitchett There's no doubt that the Nixon folks are in love with Amelia Fletcher. There's not been an indie-popper in the past fifteen years who hasn't at some point been besotted by at least one of her bands. Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, Marine Research; they've all left behind them classic nuggets of the most shimmering punk-fuelled Pop imaginable. Stuffed full of tunes that go sweeping and swirling into the far reaches of the stratosphere, Amelia's various bands have been glorious frameworks for her wonderful voice and great proto-riot girl lyrics. Her new band, Tender Trap (I keep wanting to type Tiger Trap - the wonderful '90s US band led by Rose Melberg who were clearly in thrall of Talulah Gosh), are no exception. Tender Trap finds Fletcher teaming up with erstwhile partners in crime Rob Pursey (Heavenly and Marine Research) on guitars and DJ Downfall (Marine Research) on sequencers and various programming skills. The results on the Fortuna Pop released Film Molecules album are, thankfully, pretty much what you would expect; short, simple, evocative songs that bristle with an in-built natural flair for Pop that hooks you in the heart. Highlights would be the mod-electro of 'Face of '73' which starts with the sounds of a camera motor-winding away, like a fragment of sound from Blow-Up or 'Girls On Film'; the fine maybe-a-blueprint for living that is 'That Girl', with the great opening lines 'she would never believe what she was taught in school, all of the history and the geography. Better to read Patti Smith and Simone De Beauvoir to know how things are', and then the song closing 'Travis are boring, Le Tigre are smart'; the alternately downbeat and soaring melancholia/release of 'Son of Dorian Gray'; 'Brown Eyes', with it's film projector intro is a gorgeous glance at love cruelly ended; single 'Oh Katrina' simply an infectious teenage tumble in the park with a chorus that springs off the swings and runs hell for leather behind the snogging tree, before laughing gleefully all the way home. [This review also appeared in Careless Talk Costs Lives] [back to top] Vanity Project, Issue 3, August 2002 - Review by Skif Well the pedigree is more than apparent. Tender Trap is the new vehicle for Amelia Fletcher, ex- of C86 figure-heads Talulah Gosh, Sarah label twee-pop legends Heavenly and, more recently, Marine Research. Her current band mates Rob Pursey and John Downfall have also appeared in incarnations of the latter two acts. A lot to live up to then, but any pressure to deliver is clearly taken in their stride making for yet another enjoyable piece of work. Take heed of the dirty rock n’ roll intro of single ‘Oh Katrina’, the gorgeous yet fragile lament of ‘Talk In Song’ and the sleazy wink on the ‘Face Of ’73’. Also the ‘that girl thinks Travis are boring, Le Tigre are smart’ line (in ‘That Girl’) raises a chuckle! Ah hell, it’s all good - buy it. Our old friends still have the ability to thrill but as always, without overstatement. [back to top] Pitchfork, August 12th, 2002 - Review by Alison Fields I sympathize with all those who had to double-take on the above. I, too, experienced a peculiar sense of déjà vu upon first viewing the white promo sleeve emblazoned with "Tender Trap" and the K logo. You figure someone's banking on the confusion of the record buying market, much like the once-clever (now unemployed) Internet pioneers who correctly questioned our collective spelling ability and bought up such choice domain names as Amazone.com and Salan.com. (A point clearly discovered by all too hasty Pitchfork readers who forget the "media" suffix and find themselves encouraged to buy livestock. Accident? I don't think so). For clarification purposes, Tender Trap's relationship to Tiger Trap is merely coincidental but they will likely appeal to the same audience: a largely (though I don't mean to invoke stereotypes) female fanbase whose taste runs toward short, jangly, dreamy, twee-influenced indie pop. Tsunami's Jenny Toomey once asserted that "punk means cuddle," but it took Heavenly's "PUNK Girl" to make me believe it. The warmest and fuzziest of all bands ever (even if inappropriately) associated with girls and their oft-cited ability to kick ass, Heavenly could hypothetically sing about the bloody aftermath of nuclear apocalypse and conjure visions of fluffy puppies and charming, precocious children frolicking in grassy wonderlands. Hence, they inspired legions of doe-eyed twee bands worldwide. With the suicide of Heavenly's Matthew Fletcher, the rest of the band, led by Amelia Fletcher, changed their name to Marine Research, fleshed out their angelic pop and released the lush, Sounds from the Gulf Stream. And now, after the recent departure of keyboardist Cathy Rogers and guitarist Peter Momtchiloff, the remaining Heavenly Researchers have regrouped as Tender Trap. The band has spent the last two years writing and recording this album of eclectic, though no less ethereal, pop songs, the vast majority of which hover around a two-minute length. And while nothing on Film Molecules is exactly unexpected or newly innovative, Tender Trap is a remarkably clean, cohesive, entertaining proposition. The opener, "Fin," builds out of an electronic pulse and resolves into a sort of featherweight shoegazer, the arrangement of which serves as a terrific showcase for Fletcher's breathy vocals. This is followed abruptly by the upbeat, jangle pop of "Oh, Katrina," which, with its pitch-perfect harmonies and quick tempo, more closely recalls Heavenly than anything else on the album. Fletcher's candy coated melodies provide a clever juxtaposition to the implied message of her lyrics, evidenced in the bouncy "That Girl," which documents the travails of burgeoning teenage feminist whose "record collection separates women from men," and namechecks Le Tigre. Likewise, the Blondie-influenced "Face of 73," offers a subtle critique of media superficiality without veering a single step outside the retro dance-pop formula-- even Fletcher's droll vocals are dead-on. The super-abbreviated "Dispraxic," with its stripped down metal-tinged guitar and the excellent new wave flavored "Chemical Reaction," provide Fletcher with the opportunity to rant without the ironic distance, and the evocative "Talk in Song" is an oddly dark, fractured torch song that single-handedly keeps me from issuing a pejorative comment about the slow songs on Film Molecules. That being said, the overwrought melodrama of "Emma" sounds like filler, and the minimal "Brown Eyes" only shows the unflattering limitations of Fletcher's vocal abilities. I imagine it's difficult to pull off this kind of music without causing sweet-induced listener aneurysms and/or counting so singularly on the affectation that you lose all substance-- but the Heavenly/Marine Research/Tender Trap gang has continually represented one of the better and more sophisticated models of the genre. And on the whole, Film Molecules is no exception. It may be unlikely to win fans from audiences with allergies to saccharine, but that's not really the point, is it? (Rating 7.5) [back to top] Mundane Sounds - Review by Joseph Kyle Ahhhh..Tender Trap...they're heavenly! No, wait, really, they are! Okay, okay, forgive the bad pun. I'm just super-excited to hear Amelia Fletcher's new project, Tender Trap. Amelia's got one of the sweetest, prettiest pop voices you'll ever hear, and her bands Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, and Marine Research, while slightly different, were all wonderful due in part to her charming, always-got-a-smile-on-her-face vocals. Unlike her other groups, though, Tender Trap's a much more varied bag of musical styles. Peter Momtchiloff is gone, and while his guitar genius may be absent, it's not particularly missed, because Tender Trap's not really a guitar band. It's more of a mixed bag, with a little bit of guitar rock ("Oh Katrina," "Dyspraxic," "Chemical Reaction") but with more emphasis on the beats, and such numbers as "That Girl" and "Face of '73" find Tender Trap going places with dance beats that none of her other bands ever came close to creating. There are also odd little experiments such as "Emma" which focus on minimal electronic backing, letting Fletcher's vocals come out to the front. There are also a few sad ballads, such as "Love is Red/Green" and the heartbreaking "Brown Eyes," which is about a breakup, but for some reason I'm also thinking that she's talking about her brother, the late Mathew Fletcher, who was Heavenly's (and Talulah Gosh's) drummer. Of course, I may be wrong about that, but, you know, that history is there... Tender Trap's music is not a real surprise, considering their pedigree. It's a much more rewarding project than Marine Research, which, while nice, seemed to find Heavenly rowing with a broken mast due to the death of Mathew Fletcher. While there's nothing on Film Molecules to make you forget about Heavenly or Marine Research, there's nothing on here that'll make you think that Fletcher and company are treading the same ground. Film Molecules provides you, dear listener, with the sunny, pleasant, intelligent pop that your life so dreadfully desires. [back to top] Tasty zine, Issue 17, Review by Sam There’s always something of a frisson of excitement that accompanies a new Amelia Fletcher band, and Tender Trap are no different. Through Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, Marine Research and now Tender Trap, Fletcher and her cohorts have been the vanguard of indie-pop/twee/C86 - call it what you will, but they’ve always made wonderful music. And ‘Film Molecules’ is a wonderful thing too, a quite astonishing debut. Perhaps it’s the fact that is quite simply some of the most mainstream pop music Fletcher has made, perhaps it’s because it sounds wilfully out of time, perhaps it’s because huge chunks of it remind me of the first Kenickie album - I can’t quite put my finger on it. The album veers wildly through the girl-pop of ‘Oh Katrina’ to the wonderfully lush ‘Son of Dorian Gray’ - my favourite here, and onto early 80s synth pop such as ‘Face of 73’ - a song that Kylie and Sophie would just love to be able to sing...and the epic, eerie closer - ‘Your Are Gone’ which at over six minutes seems slightly out of sync with it’s fellow tunes, but never outstays it’s welcome. There’s already been some wonderful records released this year, from people such as Milky Wimpshake, The Lucksmiths and Comet Gain. Add this beauty to your collection. [back to top] The Pulse Magazine, August 2002 issue - Review by Kurt B. Reighley Former "twee" poster girl Amelia Fletcher's band history is starting to resemble something out of the Old Testament: "And Talulah Gosh begat Heavenly, which begat Marine Research, which begat Tender Trap ..." The primary distinction between her latest ensemble, which features former Marine Research members Rob Pursey (who was also in Heavenly) and John Stanley (alias DJ Downfall), and her last is its songwriting modus operandi, which eliminates all excessive indulgences like middle-eights and repeated choruses. As such, Film Molecules is a remarkably succinct disc; the energetic, punky "Dyspraxic" clocks in at a mere 48 seconds. Fans of Fletcher and Pursey's previous outfits will find much to treasure here, from the ebullient '60s pop vibe of "OK Katrina," to the new wave bass riffs and snapping camera shutters (trés "Girls on Film") of "Face of '73." The harder-edged "Chemical Reaction" recalls the group's K Records peers Beat Happening, while the lyrics of "That Girl" are a veritable Who's Who of feminist cool, name-checking Le Tigre, Patti Smith, philosopher Simone de Beauvoir and even glam-rock heroine Suzi Quatro. A couple of the 11 cuts fall flat, but at least the clunkers--the feedback-laden six-minute closer "You Are Gone (So You Should Go)" excepted--are short. (3 stars) [back to top] GroovyStylie.com, Issue 5 - Review by Ciderjane Once you get over the fact that the music, and particularly Amelia Fletcher’s vocals, sounds eerily like Blondie, this CD’s quite a nice listen, with clever, catchy songs that ride the fine line between pop and rock quite well. The more bubble-pop songs aren’t really my style, though they’re well crafted. “Oh Katrina” has that fun, light Go-Go’s type feel, and is bursting with energy while “That Girl” has wry humor wrapped around quirky beats: 'her record collection/separates women from men/sometimes she lets them mingle/that breaks it up again.' For the most part, the ballads don’t do it for me - Fletcher’s voice rides too high and hard for my tastes. But the darker tones that infuse many of the songs like “Fin” and “Face of 73” which has a great 80’s sort of metallic clang, while Fletcher’s smoky vocals keep any sign of lifelessness at bay. And songs with true rock overtones like “Chemical Reaction” and “Dyspraxic” and “You Are Gone” have a cool, rebellious edge to them, complimented very well by sexy vocal stylings. I'd pick one up, yo, and give it a listen. [back to top] In love with these times in spite of these times, July 2002 issue for once we shall
try to skirt the baggage. let us just step back and say that a new band called
tender trap - apparently they are a trio, possibly from the south of england -
have produced a rather good, intelligent pop album, "film molecules",
with the help of a drum machine and a working knowledge of the indie aesthetic.
like the subject of one of their songs, they are driven by an ethos which
"thinks that travis are boring, le tigre are smart". whilst this ethos
will be shared by anyone in the whole universe who has actually heard both
bands, it is not a bad peg on which to hang yr credentials. Aquarius Records review Another honey pie melodious incarnation from Amelia Fletcher and crew. She's already strewn a bountiful sugar coated pop blossoms for many years in Marine Research, Heavenly and Talulah Gosh, but now along with her fellow MR bandmates John Stanley and Rob Pursey, she's veering away from the twee pop path that has been her trademark. They started this group last year with some self-imposed rules: 2-minute songs only, no touring. These rules were soon tossed in the trash. The first rule was broken when they were asked to play with Magnetic Fields in Dublin. Plus, they've got some songs that *gasp* are longer than 120 seconds. Nonetheless, things do sound a bit different this time around. For instance, they've added some electronics into the usual jangly guitar mix and recorded it all digitally. From one song to the next, the trio dons different musical jackets. Stylistically this is all over the damn place. There's a traditional Fletcher perky pop song ("Oh Katrina"), a thumpin' dance track that's right at home next to Stephin Merritt's Future Bible Heroes ("Face Of 73" - complete with Duran Duran "Girls On Film" camera shutter intro!), a raucous, crunchy guitar number ("Dyspraxic"), a slow romantic lovely ("Brown Eyes") and nine more. Nevertheless, at the heart of all of this is really delightful pop, and did we really expect anything less from Ms Amelia? I think not! [back to top] The Original Sin webzine (from Belgium, in English) - Review by Didier Becu I might be old but Amelia Fletcher always used to be one of my heroines as being the indiemaniac I am I canít forget the impact of bands like tallulah Gosh and of course the best known band on Sarah Records, The Heavenly. Later Marine research were born (they had an album out on K Records) and now in 2002 Amelia has teamed up with rob Pursey and the quite known indie-legend DJ Downfall and after having supported The Magnetic Fields as their debutgig, they have released their debutalbum on Fortuna Pop!. And itís said with respect, but what can we expect from Amelia then high quality indiepop? Cos if if you donít mind the electronic background (which of course makes it only better!) Tender Trap are not that far away from earlier bands like The Go Goís, Stereolab and Velocette as this indiepop and you better not forget the word pop!!! An excellent indiealbum in times the big press no longer cares about it.Musicboom (from Italy) - Review by Salvatore "Howty" Patti Visino affilato e voce sottile, Amelia Fletcher da Oxford ha attraversato in punta di piedi un ventennio di musica pop: la sua militanza in formazioni venerate come Talulah Gosh ed Heavenly non l'ha indotta a vivere di ricordi, tanto più che l'esperienza di queste band è proseguita senza soluzione di continuità nei Marine Research. che con 4/5 della line-up degli Heavenly (mancava solo Matthew Fletcher, il fratello di Amelia morto suicida nel 1996) hanno inciso l'ottimo "Songs from the Gulf Stream" nel 2000, ed approda ora ai Tender Trap, che altro non sono che i Marine Research meno il chitarrista Peter Momtchiloff e la tastierista Cathy Rogers. Inevitabile quindi che la direzione musicale sia la medesima, anche se "Film Molecules" è indiscutibilmente un lavoro più vario ed ispirato del precedente, che esplora con gusto filologico ogni tendenza pop degli ultimi tre lustri e la aggiorna al linguaggio elettronico: senza smanie di strafare i tre Tender Trap hanno estratto l'essenza dell'indie-pop dagli anni 80 ad oggi reinterpretandola per chitarra, basso e melodica, con una esuberanza chitarristica a stento tenuta a freno, un gusto impareggiabile per le melodie e l'incredibile voce di Amelia, che suona ancora come quella di un'adolescente nonostante tutta l'acqua passata sotto i ponti. Rinunciando al batterista (le percussioni sono rigorosamente elettroniche e curate dal bassista DJ Downfall) i Tender Trap porgono alle orecchie un eclettismo capace di spaziare dal guitar-pop alle distorsioni, dal C86 all'elettropop, e fanno tutto già nell'arco dei primi quattro pezzi: Fin è una matassa di distorsioni, elettronica e chitarre sporche, Oh Katrina è la perfetta pop-song, su un giro di chitarra che ha la consistenza (anche adesiva) del chewingum e voci sovraincise con refrain e coretti, That Girl una malinconica ballad per arpeggi elettroacustici e Face of 73 puro electropop anni 80 condito da beatbox, tastierine e la voce che asseconda un ritornello delizioso. C'è quanto basta per
conquistare alla causa dei Tender Trap anche il più smaliziato indie-popper, ma
non sono questi i soli gioielli del disco: Chemical Reaction riempie l'aria di
guitar-pop frizzante ed infettivo, Brown Eyes la illumina di malinconie sixties
affidandosi interamente alla voce della Fletcher, e nella swingante Love is
red/green arriva persino Calvin Johnson (boss della K records nonché deus ex
machina dei Beat Happening) a dare una mano con i suo accordi zoppicanti e il
vocione tenebroso. Think Small fanzine (from the Netherlands - hence in Dutch) - Review by Steffan Schipper Tender Trap is de nieuwste band van Amelia Fletcher, voormalig zangeres van Talula Gosh, Heavenly en Marine Research en gaat verder waar de vorige bands ophielden. Indiepop zoals indie moet klinken: vrolijk, dansbaar en lekker meezingbaar. Wat me opvalt is dat het grootste gedeelte van de 14 nummers electronisch is, zoals de waanzinnige single Face Of '73 en Chemical Reaction. Voor iemand die al sinds de jaren 80 dit soort muziek maakt, klinken de composities van Amelia lekker in het gehoor. Net alsof het een eerste CD betreft (wat dit eigenlijk ook is). Fans van de vorige bands van Amelia Fletcher en fans van indiepop in het algemeen kunnen deze CD blind aanschaffen. [back to top] Soundsxp, Happy Robots festival, Reading, 2 Aug 02 - Review by Kev The Rising Sun Arts Centre is a charming, ‘intimate’ setting where the band is at the same level as ourselves. Suffering slightly from a small PA system, which has to handle the programmed backing as well as Amelia’s confident vocals, Tender Trap nevertheless manage to deliver a fine set that comprises songs from the wonderful Film Molecules album - reflecting the band’s range of indiepunk (Chemical Reaction), electropop (Fin, That Girl) to indie ballads (Emma, Talk in Song). Vocalist Amelia is friendly, chatting to audience between songs, making various apologies and laughing with the rest of us when there are, er, ‘technical hitches’. Fin starts of the proceedings nicely with driving programmed synth bass lines and percussion over which Rob lays guitar and DJ adds rootnote (probably) bass. Face of ’73 sounds stripped of its heavy depeche mode leanings of the CD for more a indie guitar based sound and works well. Apple Core – a new song (with warnings from Amelia that she may forget the words) - comes across as choppy punky indie pop and takes us into - after various false starts with the drum machine – the pell mell of Chemical Reaction. Thing slow down with the stripped vocals and guitar of Emma and the downcast Talk In Song. Finally finishing, all to soon, with the sublime pop of the single Oh Katrina which if you don’t have, well…why not get the album? Set List: Fin/That Girl/Face of ‘73/Son of Dorian Gray/Apple Core/Chemical Reaction/Emma/Talk in Song/Unputdownable/Oh Katrina [back to top] Popnews.com, Happy Robots festival, Reading, 2 Aug 02 - Review by Gildas Tender Trap d'abord occupe les tréteaux et il faut quelque temps à Amelia pour s'imposer au dessus des brouhaha du bar 100% organique (je conseille la Golden Promise très bonne ale, forte et sucrée comme la voix voix d'Amelia). Mais après une minute de la première chanson le silence est fait et bien fait. Tender Trap c'est en fait la résurrection de Marine Research et d'Heavenly deux des pierres angulaires d'une certaine idée de la pop. L'esprit Sarah Records est très présent et malgré quelques impairs de leur batteur/minidisk, le charme s'installe sans problème. La guitare de Rob se complait à envelopper les rythmes souples de la basse et l'énergie d'Amelia est incroyablement communicative. [back to top] Vido's logzine. Review of Face of 73 (in Dutch) De drie muzikanten van Tender Trap houden het op de A-kant zo kort, dat het liedje afgelopen is voordat je, na het neerzetten van de naald op de aanloopgroef, op de bank kunt gaan zitten. Een couplet, een refrein, een tweede couplet en het laatste refrein. Meer hebben Amelia Fletcher, Rob Pursey en John Stanley (allen ex-Marine Research) niet nodig in Face Of 73. Klik en flits zegt een fototoestel en de electropop gaat van start. Alle clichés van het genre komen aan bod in een liedje dat gelukkig vrolijk en catchy genoeg is om ze te kunnen accepteren. Make me smile and don't seduce me. De B-kant krijgt een bewerking door DJ Downfall (oftewel John Stanley). Hier geen eenvoudig meezingbaar deuntje. Fin is een licht galmend en zwevend somber liedje waarin de kinderlijke stem van zangeres Fletcher slechts wordt begeleid door gitaren en een baslijntje dat in de coupletten lijkt op A Forest van The Cure. Door de echo's achterstevoren af te draaien waaien de vocalen naar ons toe. Als je goed luistert hoor je, ver weg, verscholen in de mix, aanvullende elektronische instrumenten. [back to top] Vanity Project, Issue 5, March 2003, Interview by Skif To finish our small
series of Odd/Even shows, we wanted to mix it up a tad. We wanted something
bizarre, so we got in Maria Syrtisz, we wanted something funky, so we got
Loki, and we also wanted a band who mean something. Not only in terms of the
modern ‘indie scene’, but whose have a distinct place in the history of
British off-kilter pop and with Tender Trap, you get both. They house former
members of Talulah Gosh (one of the more resonant shining lights in the C86
twee-pop movement, along with the Pastels and the Wedding Present) as well
as Sarah Records luminaries Heavenly, yet they eschew their past to continue
creating modern day pop-nuggets of the highest quality. We contacted Amelia
Fletcher to see what makes her tick, even if she’s clearly lying about her
second best achievement in music. Yes. But they
particularly signal a time when all the old songs have been thrown away and a
new lot have been made. They also represent a recognition that the earlier
impulse to stop being in a band has been cancelled out by the renewed desire to
start one all over again. A lot less gigs, fewer
arguments, more time spent staring at a computer screen. Less geared toward live
performance, really. We'll probably try to make the live thing more exciting in
the future cos we're slightly conscious that we're not very entertaining to
watch unless you really like the songs. Even then, the only pleasure may be to
hear us messing those songs up. There was a good version of 'Badge of Love' a
few gigs ago when the CD player unilaterally decided to start the next song
before we'd finished the old one and DJ fell off the stool he was perched on,
dropping the melodica in the process. On the positive side, the records are
getting closer to what we intend. We were never good at getting what we wanted
in studios. Starting out, gigs was
just what you did if you were in a band, and we never thought we'd ever record
any of it anyway. We also thought, foolishly, that playing lots of gigs might
make you very famous. Or, maybe, just got excited that people are prepared to
look at and listen to you for 40 minutes. Now gigs are still fun, but seem
motivated by a vague wanderlust and the desire to see that there still are other
people in the world who aren't just buying Radiohead LPs off Amazon and thinking
that that's it. Lyrically, people we
know. Musically, the Magnetic Fields, in particular their willingness to do
different things and not worry if it sounds odd. We have just finished
recording a single that will probably come out on Elefant later in the year. We
wrote it after our last trip to Spain where we really liked all the indie
electropop bands. Our song is a duet half in English, half in Spanish and the
Spanish stuff is sung by our friend Lupe out of Pipas. It's more poppy that
anything on the LP. We've also got the bare bones of enough songs for another
LP, but we haven't written many lyrics yet so may have to spend a lot more time
with people we know eavesdropping on their conversations. Strangely, all these
other songs seem to be less poppy so far. Quite often we set out to do something
more 'serious', get bored with it and decide it's better to write pop tunes
instead. It seems a lot quieter!
There are less boys with pudding bowl haircuts. Play Scrabble. Go to
more gigs. Eat more food. We're thinking about starting an indie club in
Brixton, so maybe that as well. Beat Happening - Indian
Summer The Beckett Trilogy A house. [back to top]
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