By AMY KNUDTSON
knudtson@du2.byu.edu
Trinket is unlike most other bands from Athens, Ga, the city known as the hotbed for college bands. While many are roaming through alternative and grunge sounds, Trinket has taken their own path, returning to a classic rock genre and following the solid beat of the rock'n'roll drummer.
Their self-titled album was released by RCA Records on Feb. 9 and is true to the definition they give themselves -- 'classic rock for the 21st century.'
Their album has a great sound and there was only one song out of the 11 I didn't like. All of the songs contain steady beats, guitar solos and thought-provoking lyrics. Their writing is amazingly clear and the lyrics cover a variety of topics.
'Pure' is one of my favorites tracks. It's a soft, slow tune that slowly progresses to a full-charged rock song. The chorus sings, 'What do you say we sleep 'til Thursday, and push away the rest of the world?' The tunes lyrics make you want to kick back, listen to the smooth guitar and fade away into your own little world. It is a deep song addressing feelings of being constantly overwhelmed and wanting to return to a state of innocence. 'Throwaway Culture,' was another one of my favorites and completely the opposite of thought-provoking. It's a very catchy song with an infectious beat and chorus. The repeated phrase, 'living like this is almost my choice, limited but far from unaware/Fashion stands as a history, these feelings I never wanted to wear,' becomes molded into your brain and you catch yourself singing along without even trying.
The five-member band hasn't always had such a smooth rock'n'roll sound. It wasn't until after their first album, 'Your Head Is A Shimmer', partially produced by Michael Stipe, that they decided to change their music.
Their first album launched them into the spotlight, immediately becoming a staple on the Southeast music circuit. During this time they grew out of the cross between Jane's Addiction's 'Nothing's Shocking' LP and 'The Joshua Tree' to the semi-glam rock band they are today.
Band members, singer Brian Youmans, drummer Derry De Lamar, guitarist J. Christopher Arrison, guitarist Jeff Fisher and bassist Tommy Salmon, started their transition while playing clubs all over the country. They began listening to rock records like classic Rolling Stones and it started to move the band towards a rock element and less of a dissonant, U2-ish kind of sound.
With their new focus, the band spent the last five years on the construction of their new album. They saw a lot of road time in the process, opening for bands like The Verve Pipe and Sneaker Pimps, and playing large venues like Music Midtown.
This last year, Trinket traveled the country on the ESPN X-Games Xperience tour, playing at local clubs along the way, including a noteworthy gig at A Day in the Garden show at the original site of Woodstock.
Trinket's melodies are fresh and far from many of the common sounds we've grown accustomed to. I'm sure we'll be hearing more in the future from this band that seems to be coming into its own. Their passion for rock'n'roll is obvious, their songs are authentic and they put their heart and soul into giving us a great sound.
Youmans summed it up best, 'To me, as a musician, it's what you have to do. You have to keep doing what your doing; keeping the cause alive and loving music.'