Released: May 31, 2005
Label: Warp
Genre: Rock
Styles: Indie Rock, Britpop
Number Of Tracks: 13
A Certain Trigger is a remarkably fresh-sounding debut album, with more than enough personality to transcend its retro leanings.
A Certain Trigger
Reviewed by:
white_noise, on june 15, 2006 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Sound: Grafiti was the first song I heard from this band, on Top Of The Pops way back in 2005 I think. The song didnt hit me initially, but the line "I'll do grafiti, If you sing to me in French," is so memorable, I instantly recognised the band when I heard the song I fell in love with, Apply Some Pressure. The song starts with crunching guitars, and snappy lyrics coming out the wazoo, but its the chorus that sets this song apart. Swirling with charm and intreague the synth sets it up nicely for the next tracks. They come thick and fast, and they are all superb. The guitar is always complimented beautifully by appropriate bass lines and keys. What they do so well is make themselves sound so individual, when you may look at the line up and expect the same as any other band, a terrific achievement. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: Lyrically, Maximo Park are top draw, really top draw. Paul Smiths nothern accent tells the ten or so different stories, in a tone of voice that simply cant be bettered; It is so well suited to the words sung. Word wise, there is simply no better than Postcard of a Painting. To write a song so strongly aimed at an individual, that doesn't come across as pretencious, requires a subtlety that I rarely hear. Dispite all this, the message is still crystal clear. "I wrote my feelings down in a rush, I didn't even check the spelling. I'll admit there's a web, but it wasn't me who spun it," it's all brilliant. // 10
Impression: This is one of my favorite albums I have ever listened to. Maximo park have not only musicaltalent, but also a seriousflair for song writing, something many modern pop-rock bands sorely lack. Every song here is outstanding, though if I had to pick the best of the best, I would side with the track, 'I want you to stay.' Here, the guitar takes more of a back seat and the bass and the almost robotic sounding synth take over. Once more the lyrics are top class, subtle yet totally to the point. What really sets this track up is the final build towards the ending. This truely is spine tingling stuff. The guitar really comes in here and every layer of sound is perfect, including some flawless vocals, from Smith that are damn near impossible to recreate, "You know the way I feel," is so simple, yet so powerful and emotional, and very easy to relate to. Thats what makes this album great, no matter what your situation, there is something here that you will take solice from. There, quite simply, is no finer. // 10
A Certain Trigger
Reviewed by:
Opal Decept, on january 09, 2006 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Sound: The thing that modern music is missing nowadays is insanity. Extremely good britpop bands like Kaiser Cheifs come few and far between, bands that don't mind how crazy or jumpy there music is. Maximo Park is an excellent breath of fresh air in this department. The zany approach to music is just the thing that post-Kaiser Cheif fans need. Their music ranges form fast to slow, short to long, in fact, one of the song is half spoken word, and it still works! // 9
Lyrics and Singing: Maximo Park's lyrics are emotional, witty, and it shows just how insane the band is. Anyone who would get on stage and shout: "I would love to see you undressed!" is braver than they are smart. The znay lyrics go with the zany music with complete perfection, and the singing is easily coherant and in tune. Spot on. // 10
Impression: Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Cheifs fans would consider this "the next step." Maximo Park is not perfect, a couple of song could perhaps be tinkered with, but what bands are perfect in this day and age? The cavalcade of good songs from 'Apply Some Pressure' to 'The Night I Lost My Head' will keep the listener fully interested. If I had lost this album, I would have sobbed for 10 minutes before going out and buying it again. // 10
A Certain Trigger
Reviewed by:
alexmac540, on october 26, 2005 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Sound: Superb! At last a band that seem to be putting together good songs rather than commercial rubbish! Chart friendly singles and a darker side to the music. Clearly an art school kinda band but seem to have something up and over on the likes of Franz Ferdinand. Sounds like a cross between XTC, Wire And The Fall in the vocals and Weller's playing in the jam! Sounds really jangly, typical of the rickenbacker used to record the album. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: Lets face it. The guy isn't the greatest singer we've ever heard but his brash and coarse northern accent makes it easy on the ears. The lyrics are well put together and in places quite comical. Also there are moments on the album that anyone can relate to them in some way. It's clever! // 9
Impression: What can I say? In my opinion this album has left every other art pop band trailing in its wake. They don't come much better. I've seen them live and although the vocals are weak the buzz that has been surrounding the band since early this year seems to make the experience like nothing else! The outstanding tracks are: Graffiti, Apply Some Pressure, The Coast Is Always Changing and The Unknown Limasol, simply brilliant. // 9
A Certain Trigger
Reviewed by:
INDIE girl KYM, on october 14, 2005 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Sound: Maximo Park could be clumped up with all the other art-rock bands emerging on the british music scene all too easily, but, take the time to look closer at these suave, suited and geeky northerners, and you will discover some of the best new indie around. Paul Smiths' voice meltingly leaks through the harsh keyboards, adding layers and depth to their sound, while the jerky guitars sends even the most nonchalent scenester into a dancing craze. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics are as witty as they are realistic to a modern and cynical world. Crippingly honest and brutally telling, you can't hear a Maximo Park song without it in some way reflecting your own life. The band use lyrics that are cold and heartless, but, at the same time sympathetic and revealing. For us student types 'The night I lost my head' is the all too familier scene of the morning after the night before. They show the modern day world to be as it truely is, full of life but empty as hell. // 10
Impression: Don't begin to think Maximo Park are another smug intellectuual band, they simply tell it as it is, the good and the bad. The album makes you want to jump around to their indie thrashing beats and forget all about the essay you had due in tomorrow. The band produces music that is like no other and luckily the irony and sometimes bitterly blissful lyrics, pound into your skull harder than thought of getting up early the next day after a heavy night out. // 10
A Certain Trigger
Reviewed by:
duncang, on september 19, 2005 0 of 1 people found this review helpful
Sound: Top-class indie-rock. Great guitar parts, and Paul Smith has a very unique style. Even without him, you could tell the band is british. I'm astonished nobody has reviewed this album! The choruses always have a hook to them, from the "Oooh, oooh" in Going Missing, to the whole chorus of Apply Some Pressure. Amazing. // 10
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics aren't great, but in my opinion, lyrics don't matter, if you base it all on lyrics, it's just poetry. So I'll give this a 3. // 6
Impression: Brilliant album, they certainly should have won the Mercury Prize, although Hard-Fi, Coldplay and The Go! Team would have all deserved it. The best british album of the year. // 10
