CDs REVIEWS
· MODERN DANCE ·
"Trap - Outside"
Review published in
British magazine MODERN DANCE about TRAP's
first CD, "OUTSIDE" (Stropharia Records - 1995)
"This Brazilian band contacted MD directly a couple or three months ago, informing us of an iminent release - were we interested? Hell, yes. Well, TRAP’s album, OUTSIDE, arrived and to be honest I was expecting the usual Latin-influenced, well, Brazilian music. The stuff on here is more like New Model Army, although, with all due respect, TRAP are very much their own thing. There’s a total of 11 tracks, and each one gradually impresses and as you get near the end you begin to think, yes, this isn’t bad at all. As you can well imagine, bands from anywhere outside of the USA or the UK who play something that is "alien" to their musical culture, and is often classed as copying, but believe me, there is nothing wrong with the music on here - none of it is derivative. I know You Like To Bring Me Down, Heaven!, Acid Stream and Inside are very, very fine songs and for a three piece, TRAP have a strength that gives them a strong personality. Their lyrics are sung in English too! (...) Believe me, it os bloody good, and has a great attitude.
· MENSAGEIRO Fanzine · City: Rio de Janeiro · August '95
"Trap"
After listening to a
couple of grunge-noisy demos, I played this one to rest my ears. Trap
is indeed a "pop" band, but it plays a grown-up, adult
pop without trying to be another one of those
"commercial-sell out" bands. It's authentic stuff and
very well performed. "Heaven!" and "Spiritual
Sky" are precious songs. "The" has got a cool rock
vein. I would put them between Marillion (this band's new stuff)
and The Smiths and The Cure. The good news is that an indie album
is to be released soon. No worries about money, it costs only
R$10,00 (e.g., Ten Reais, or approx. 10 dollars). I will surely
get one for me, and if you want to open your mind to different
music, be fast and get yours!
Review written by: Danubio Aguiar
· MUSICLAND Magazine · City: Joao Pessoa · September '95
"ALBUM OF THE
WEEK"
Trap, OUTSIDE
It's funny to realize
how everyone's mind is a different whole. Ray Bradbury does a
splendid job turning into fiction such quotations. I mention him
'cause I've read many different reviews about the debut album
from Trap, a rock-quartet from Sao Paulo. There are many
different references, like people comparing Trap
to that or that other band, some really strange stuff, and that's
also why the band deserves a listening. Their singer-guitarist,
Jonny, plays the main role. Obviously without the other band
members he wouldn't go much further, but what grabs our attention
is the
lyrical-melodic-guitar-wall-of-sound-and-intelligently-elaborated-effects
character of their music. The band plays rock taking eventually a
pop-progressive road... But where does it lead, what does it
mean, anyway? I don't know. Just try imagining this: they sound a
bit like The Waterboys (Jonny has the same lyric barbing and a
similar pitch to that of Mike Scott's voice), with the
"aesthetic contemplation" of a band like Afghan Whigs,
the rock punch of The Gin Blossoms, and the same pop simplicity
we find in acts like Simple Minds and (why not?) Big Country.
Maybe you'll also find something different out of their music,
but the case is... Nobody is untouched. Another peculiarity of
this album is the way it's been recorded, following progressive
steps along different studios: 8 channels for the drums, 16
channels for guitars and bass-guitars and 24 channels for the
vocals and final mixing. Though its texture sounds a little
irregular, it's never compromising. Trap
was originally a power trio including excellent drummer Eddie and
bass-player Alex DiPietro. Recently Mr. Guedes joined the band to
play the bass and Renato came in for a second guitar. "Outside" has eleven songs, from which "Jazzy
Fantazy", "Acid Stream", "Bust" and the
acoustic-guitar-song "Inside" all deserve special
attention. Beautiful work! And since it is an indie release, it
may be difficult to find it around. But for R$ 10,00 you can get
yours via mail. Unmissable!!!
Review written by: Jesuino André
· ROCK BRIGADE Magazine · August '95 · City: Sao Paulo
Trap, OUTSIDE
After 4 years on the
road and a couple of demos recorded, Trap releases now its debut album. It is fairly well
produced, and the band seems to have that naiveté so much
praised in "garage bands". In general, Jonny (G/V),
Eddie (D) and Alexandre (B) prove to be good and competent
musicians. Outside
offers a modern, complex and easy to listen rock music. It
reminds me of Dinosaur Jr., but they are not as boring as this
late one. Production details are the highlight of their album,
specially in tracks like Acid Stream and
Anguish. The road for
them is still a long one, but this first step was god damn good.
Review written by: Fernando S. Filho.
All texts translated by: renato & Jonny.
CDS
RELEASED BY TRAP
(you can
download samples of TRAP's songs)
TRAP trap@mandic.com.br