„Trupa Trupa’s music touches on many different genres ranging from 60’s psychodelia through to folk. Lyrically this band can be very dark: take the opening lyrics to “I Hate” – they’re pretty explicit about what and how much they hate. Frankly the words in this song are, at times, horrid.
But we don’t see how Trupa Trupa could make such free-flying melodic music if – deepest irony of all – they didn’t own a lot of love. Listen to how I Hate develops and wonder at the distance the song travels as the beauty of its core pierces your head and heart with rushing sounds. This stunning evolving play seeps into every pore of those listening. I Hate is a combination of jazz, ‘outer space prog rock’ and the sublime. Next song Felicy starts with a beautifully balanced vocal harmony. By now all your ‘there’s something special about this band’ alerts are screaming. The sheer breathtaking seduction of Felicy is a huge contrast to the lyrical proclamation of I Hate.
Next up, Miracle is like a fast paced sixties soundtrack, complete with echoed and stretched vocals. The whole song is accentuated by the slick guitar and punctuating beat.
++ proceeds to amaze and impress with its phenomenal range and smoothness. You’ll want to wrap its sound around you as you listen to the music split, explode, leap and dive in a demonstration of exciting, aesthetic athleticism. If you’re not completely smitten by Here And Then, the fifth track, then I pretty much guarantee that this song will ensnare your senses fully: the softness of the beat and voices mix with the forlorn and lonely guitar – the perfect foil to the harsh and unrelenting grief in the song. There’s no dwelling or self pity in Trupa Trupa as the next track proves: Sunny Day doesn’t tolerate any messing around as its gritty sound makes clear while providing a bedrock for a projecting theme borne out by the singing.
See You Again is punky and troubled which matches the graphic lyrics.The timing and breathing of the music in Home has a bravery. This song pushes musical boundaries with subtlety while touches of menace and fear enhance the theme of an unsweet home. It’s clever and wonderful to listen to.
Dei and Influence again bring surprises and an enchanting appeal, especially penultimate track, Influence with its haunting persuasion.
Final track, Exist opens with an anarchic and trembling, fragile beauty. It holds you in thrall throughout as it develops and we know that while the lyrics may tell us “We don’t exist at all” that in Trupa Trupa’s wonderful play, we do in fact exist, live, breathe, hear and feel in the highest possible state.
Yes, Trupa Trupa, you might have much hate but we have only love for you.”
