Tripcat
It's ok Kids... It's All Part Of The Show
Machine Machine Records

Tripcat is a trio, from Trondheim I guess (where some of the best Norwegian football players come from). Despite the name, this is not a hip trip hop combo or something. It's pop music all along, guitar-based pop-rock, power pop and chart-seeking pop in the A-ha vein, almost, with some heavy and ska elements thrown in here and there. And that's the main problem with the album. Tripcat strives hard to prove they can master the craftsmanship. And they do. But the album lacks some identity. The songs seem somewhat calculated, put together with the mind and not the heart. Some bits seem very familiar, like the tail part of Stealaway and the guitar at the end of Everyone Hates Mimes.

Come To My Party is the perfect opening track, a great little guitar driven pop-rocking song with pulsating keyboards. By far the most immediate and catchy song, alas. "It's only love in the stories we are telling", says one of the other lyrics, which is correct with one exception.

At the time of writing, Norway has just beaten Spain 1-0 in their first game of the European football/soccer championship. For those who didn't support any of the teams, it must have been a pretty boring match. Norway played very disciplined and Spain hardly had any opportunities to score in the second leg. Neither had Norway. I might be a bit too harsh, but I think Tripcat's debut album obtain some of the same elements as the Norwegian team. It's ok Kids... is very well played and produced. The band has worked hard to write and record the 13 songs of the album. They're disciplined, but some more poisonous attacks inside the 20 yard/16 metres line would've improved the album. Also I think they'd have gained by showing some more playfulness, let themselves loose and don't bother to prove how clever they are or what the radio stations might play. The only special elements here are the no(n)sense lyrics of Everyone Hates Mimes and saw playing on All Of My Love. Let there be more experiments next time! The best songs of It's ok Kids... It's All Part Of The Show would've made a great summer single or EP. Though at the moment I'm more concerned about Norway's next match, against Yugoslavia (Norway 3 - Yugo 2 ! - feverish editor's bet).

Copyright © 2000 JP