Swansea’s Trampolene returned in March this year to release their fourth studio album ‘Rules of Love & War’ (Strap Originals). The record was was produced by Mike Moore (Baxter Dury/Liam Gallagher), Richard Jackson (Super Furry Animals) & Jason Stafford (Albion Rooms). Banner image courtesy of Matthew Eynon.
‘Rules Of Love and War’ is available to buy from their store here.
Last time out on ‘Love No Less Than A Queen’, they set their sonic sails away from the Libertines’ notion of Albion for the first time. It opened them up to the wayward psychedelia of Fat White Family, Snapped Ankles, and King Gizzard and The Lizzard Wizzard and gave their heartfelt anthems, providing weirder and more textured avenues of discovery.
With the creative mindset now broadened, Trampolene continues to press forward on ‘Lena Lullaby’, ‘Thinking Again’, and ‘Money’. ‘Lena Lullaby’ treads frosty paths with icy orchestration and Jack Jones’ falsetto vocal. Jones’ guitar playing delicately moves from JJ72 to Darren Heyman to Sam Duckworth’s cult solo classic ‘The Mannequin’ before a mild injection of angst lifts proceedings to Snow Patrols’ early work. Jones plays with his cadence and vocal tone on ‘Thinking Again’ bringing The Vaccines’ understated ‘Melody’s Calling’ to the fore. The guitars tap into the dreamy psyche of Kurt Vile and the lo-fi wonderment of Aziz Abraham. Together, they unite to conjure a more poetical, weed-induced take on the early 00s post-punk of My Vitriol and Hope Of The States. ‘Money’ is a ball of financial anxiety wrapped up in spoken word and Snapped Ankles fuzzed-up imagery.
At Trampolene’s core though, is Albion’s sense of romanticism. On ‘Resurrection Concerto’ and ‘Alexandra Palace’, they return to Arcadia from their psychedelic adventures determined to enhance the movement. The former finds a place between Pulp’s ‘This Is Hardcore’ and ‘We Love Life’ with its soaring classical production alongside Jones’ poignant observation of living for the moment. As he decrees “just starting to live again”, you can feel pain, loss, and years of abuse ebbing away from the soul. It’s followed with the defiant howl of “it doesn’t have to be the end” as the guitars and keys bellow with debauched bombast. The protagonist, still carrying the weight of the past on their shoulders, chooses hope, chooses life! Life is far more ebullient on ‘Alexandra Palace’. Sam and Alice, the modern take on The Kinks’ Terry and Julie, is a great romantic failure in North London. With hints of Billy Bragg’s ‘St Swithins’ day warmth from the brass and the innocence of Pete Doherty’s ‘You Can't Keep It From Me Forever’, Jones lights up a coming-of-age story that will scar the characters forever.
The journey from ‘Swansea To Hornsey’ youthful fire to ‘Rules Of Love and War’ measured prose has been six years seemingly one of hope, self-doubt, escape, self-discovery, and now, one of triumphant return. The mission statements they dreamt up in bedrooms in 2017 are now becoming fully realised via richer creative palettes. Coupled with Jack Jones’ purist of souls, long may Trampolene’s ship sail on.
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