Big Troubles is a 4-piece band from New Jersey. You may have heard of them back in 2010 when they released their debut album, Worry off of Olde English Spelling Bee, a label that often signs bands that try too hard to sound like Ariel Pink. It was a decent lo-fi record that made me feel as if I were listening to a collection of lost Jesus and Mary Chain recordings. Although I have to admit, the lo-fi production was pretty daft. At the time, bands like Wavves and Ariel Pink were ditching their 4-tracks and going into expensive studios that Pitchfork paid for under the table (not true but that would be funny right?). Recently, I was a little worried that Big Troubles were going to record another cliche noise pop album but they didn't! Hallelujah!
The opener "She Smiles For Pictures" makes me want to cry because I didn't write it. It's a simple jangle-pop song that screams, "We took a time machine to Liverpool in 1990 and wrote this tune with Lee Mavers." Almost every song on the album is oozed with memorable riffs and stories about heartbreaks. The highlight track "Time Bomb" almost got me in a car accident. There's police sirens near the end of the song and I freaked out. The receptive chorus, "Ticking like a time bomb waiting just to blow" will definitely give you an earworm. I once got it stuck in my head for three hours.
Sometimes it really sucks when bands change, but for Big Troubles, it was the best move they could've made. I've checked to see what other people have said about this album to use as a reference for writing this review (hint: that was a joke) and most of them feel that it's a forgettable album. Okay, maybe they're not up there yet with fellow brit-pop revival bands such as the Smith Westerns and Viva Brother but I will say that this album will sadly be overlooked by the end of the year.
[Big Troubles Website]
[Buy Romantic Comedy from Slumberland Records]
FREE VIVA BROTHER!
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