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Review: 'i Like Trains'
'Kompromat'   

-  Label: 'Atlantic Curve/Bandcamp'
-  Genre: 'Indie' -  Release Date: '25.9.20.'

Our Rating:
Kompromat is I Like trains first album in 8 years and the first since these Leeds legends signed for Atlantic curve records. I should have reviewed this ages ago, it slipped through the net, but better late than never right.

A Steady Hand starts as this album means to go on with an almost rapped/spoken word vocal describing the dystopian nightmare of living through the Trump era, the vocal is deadpan as the music veers from fairly straight ahead indie pop with interjections of noise ridden distortions like they have become overwhelmed by the insanity they see happening on a daily basis across the ocean before the song descends into odd noises and drums as they wonder if it's something they said, it very well maybe.

Desire Is A Mess could almost be Boris Johnsons personal motto, they wonder how you sleep at night with the things you've done, well good question, as the buzzing noise batter us as they wonder why anyone is surprised at where we find ourselves, as they try to set our teeth on edge and they retort upon us.

Dig In makes a series of deadpan comments on the state of the digital and real-world nightmare surrounding us, as they wonder whose listening in, are they listening to everything we do, well probably as the music swirls beneath the increasingly desperately deadpan vocals.

PRISM is like the lens we view things through, or the filtering by the government and media priests, the tune revolves around a cool drum pattern and keyboard/synth sounds.
Patience Is A Virtue which is something anyone trying to get through to a doctor or get an appointment in the NHS currently will understand very well, as they tell you how they are the chosen ones and how this phrase was rammed into there heads so they have it as a mantra for life, you may need patience in waiting for the drummer to change the metronomic beat at the heart of the tune as they ask us a very important question or two.

A Man Of Conviction is I guess better than a man with convictions as they try to find a way to do a deal and move passed the stubborn conviction while reminding me a bit of Eddie Roxy era Department S, I love the way the music swirls and builds for emphasis on the lyrics.

New Geography could easily be an explainer for how the borders have changed post Brexit even though it was recorded and released pre-Brexit, although the lyrics are a good bit more obtuse than that as they try to map out a good way forward to a better place and time.

The single The Truth is next, this is the "straight version" as there are also some deep fake remixes that I'll discuss at the end of the review, as they ask lots of questions as to how or what truth really is in the 21st century as it has become more and more malleable as a concept rather than just the truth, listen and try to figure out if you believe there truth more than your own truth, this has a good tribal feel to the drumming as the guitars and keys build and soar to emphasize the lyrical content.

Eyes To The Left has a paranoid female vocal over super gentle piano and synth backing as they ask more questions as the world burns around us, this is a beautiful tune that keeps threatening to burst into life and nail you to the wall as they lyrics get more and more fraught and worrisome. Then it transitions and the male vocals come back in as it gets to ram home the point of how we are all sheeple now.

The three Deep Fake remixes of The Truth are 53 second youtube videos below that remix the excellent video that parodies Trump and some of his cadre and puppet masters while taking in key moments of madness from the last 4 years, The BBQ Beer and Freedom AI Mix juxtaposes Trump and Pat Robertson to brilliant effect with the very fine man in the BBQ Beer And freedom t-shirt its funny and disturbing, as is the Angles Are Coming AI Mix as I think it's Kelly Anne Conway thrown into the bear pit of madness in this one. Before the total landscaping AI Mix throws Rudy Guiliani to the wolves who should have devoured him years ago as he loses the plot in a car-park.

Find out more at https://orcd.co/ilt_kompromat https://music.iliketrains.co.uk/album/kompromat https://www.facebook.com/iLiKETRAiNSmusic








  author: simonovitch

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