TRIGGERFINGER – ALBUM REVIEW

Triggerfinger – Collusus (Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group) 

Triggerfinger - Colossus

Release Date: Out Now

It was love at first track with this album and largely because it reminded me of much missed Belgians Les Anges and then I realised that Triggerfinger are a bunch of Belgians too – there must be something in that fruit beer. Album title track ‘Colossus’ starts with a wheel spin and then moves quickly through the gears driving by the guitar and bass combo working in tandem. A quick pause to light a cigarette and then we’re off again with ‘Flesh Tight’, a stylish, Stooges-esque piece that manages to squeeze the word ‘Lollygagging’ in to a song – a first for me. ‘Candy Killer’ has all the edge, imagination and excellent bass work of a Muse song (a band they’ve supported on the stadium circuit) but also an element of David Lynch and Talking Heads about the atmosphere it creates.

By the time we wash up on the beaches of ‘Upstairs Box’ we’re too far in to turn back so we might as well pour ourselves a drink and slide down on the leather couch in between Josh Homme and Marc Bolan. There’s a drop in pace for ‘Afterglow’ which gets acoustic on our asses before expanding and exploring like Bowie used to do so well in his creative prime. ‘Breathlessness’ is a more straight-up indie romp, albeit with a dark and mischievous underbelly while ‘That’ll Be The Day’ is not a Buddy Holly cover but is, in fact, a slow burning and mildly industrial tune that shows off frontman Ruben Block’s stylish vocal perfectly.

Triggerfinger - Belgians, naturally

The superbly titled ‘Bring Me Back A Live Wild One’ starts like a Lynyrd Skynyrd tune but with more breathless desperation in those vocals and that T-Rex influence still up front and centre. ‘Steady Me’ is a drunken meandering song that seems to be the bastard child of the Sgt Pepper’s sessions but leads perfectly in to closing track, ‘Wollensak Walk’. This final tune sums up Triggerfinger perfectly for me as it has a cowboy swagger to it but this is not all conquering hero we’re hearing, this is the anti-hero who might save the day but his motivation is money and women rather than truth, justice and what’s left of the American way (particularly the semi-hidden line dancing anthem). A really interesting, multi-layered and challenging album that also has the wherewithal to be instantly gratifying at the same time. Not an easy trick to pull off.

More information: https://www.facebook.com/triggerfingerpage/

Live Dates:

4^th October – The Hope & Ruin, Brighton

5^th October – The Key Club, Leeds

7^th October – King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow

8^th October – The Cluny, Newcastle Upon Tyne

9^th October – The Deaf Institute, Manchester

10^th October – 100 Club, London

17^th October – Jazzhaus, Freiburg

18^th October – Mascotte, Zurich

19^th October – Kaserne, Basel

22^nd October – Dornbirn Conrad Sohm, Donbirn

23^rd October – Ampere/Muffatwerk, Munchen

25^th October – Festsaal Kreuzberg, Berlin

26^th October – U Bazyla, Poznan

27^th October – Klub Pralnia, Wroclaw

28^th October – Klub Proxima, Warsaw

6^th November – A38, Budapest

7^th November – Flex, Vienna

9^th November – MMC, Bratislava

13^th November – ZOOM, Frankfurt

14^th November – Werk 2, Leipzig

16^th November – Gleis 22, Munster

17^th November – Molotow, Hamburg

18^th November – Helldorardo, Eindhoven

22^nd November – Universum, Stuttgart

23^rd November – Gebaude 9, Cologne

25^th November – Elysee Montmartre, Paris

28^th November – John Dee, Oslo

29^th November – Trashpop, Kristiansand

30^th November – Tou Scene, Stavanger

1^st December – Hovlerie, Haugesund

2^nd December – Garage, Bergen

7^th December – Melkweg Max, Amsterdam

8^th December – Melkweg, Amsterdam

9^th December – Melkweg, Amsterdam

13^th December – den Atelier, Luxembourg City

14^th December – Ancienne Belgique, Brussels

15^th December – Ancienne Belgique, Brussels

16^th December – Aeronef, Lille