Trans Am - "Thing"

I’ve always felt that TA’s true calling was the roller skating rink. Immediate invocation of neon lights and subsequent injuries is what I end up recalling during a TA album exploration. The band has been known to experiment, and with often admirable results. I never owned TA or Sex Change, and I honestly don’t have an excuse. I love this band! But sometimes, TA will beat a joke into you with no apologies. The band has often made music that can be seen as retro 80’s synth rock, but the musical bravado that backs up the sound is often the differentiating characteristic. Thing is no exception. TA has a sound that can be generically referenced, however this is a somber dependency I can somewhat rely on. I’ve always enjoyed their live sets, and the handful of classics they pull out of their hats, but Thing is not short of those new classics as well. The occasional filler track or dance numbers are not exactly my favorites, but they aren’t exactly unwelcome. TA’s albums recall a time when albums were meant to be listened to in entirety, even with some half-assed “songs.” Thing doesn’t possess the linearity of albums like Futureworld or The Surveillance , but it does have some choice tracks, and it adds nicely to TA’s catalog.

TA’s sense of humor is hard to figure out sometimes. The nature of their music can be quickly characterized by some as quirky retro, thus equaling novelty act. Although tightly controlled, the band’s subtle ferocity in tracks from Thing can quickly make that notion irrelevant. As exhibited in Liberation, (TA’s political album) TA exhibits a tone somewhat more serious than previous outings. That level is on display on a somewhat more subdued level with Thing, and I think it’s clear that TA won’t be letting up on it (until TA2 comes out.)

Thing is complete with synth exploring intro tracks and instrumental interludes. The band doesn’t sing into anything but a vocoder- and has mostly done so for some time now. If you have any hang ups about this kind of thing, TA is not your band. If you can get over it, you’ll experience the joy that is TA. The band has a penchant for revving up their musical suites with a sense of both subtlety and urgency. The band members have been playing together for a LONG time, and it shows. They can read each other live. The musical creativity on albums displayed so far has been both intricate and creative. With that said, the TA sound is much defined, but the albums can sometimes be undependable. Thing is a token Trans Am album, a good thing. I’d look at this album as a bit weaker than Liberation, only in that the musical storyline is not as apparent.

With an album cover that would do Journey or Boston justice, Thing clocks in at a mere 39 minutes. The opening track is honestly filler- ambient recording of some sort of station or shopping area, leading up to the ambiguous synth tone prelude. Fade out, then track 2: "Black Matter". We’ve begun. Scary synth based post punk, disparate vocoder lyrics, and steady tension building rhythm. Next track, "Naked Singularity", features a slightly danceable beat, with ominous off kilter low-end synth accents- an exercise in rhythmic ambiguity. Then we have another synth interlude with track 4: Thing. Following this is a chunky, synth based riff track "Bad Vibes", possibly a lead in to "Heaven’s Gate". This track features a 4 minute rave up, then bringing the tone down to a minimal drum flare to end out the song. With track 7, "The Silent Star", the album is clearly continuing on. At this point, it’s full on TA style rock out "grace period." However, the lack of musical continuity is somewhat bothersome. It’s almost like singles- there’s not a lot tying the songs together production wise. It’s OK, but noticeably not like previous TA albums. "Arcadia" features a stylistic guitar based riff, and makes for a nice sharp breakup for the so far mostly synth based album. It’s a bit 'dancy', and the fade out screams it might have gone on a LONG time in the studio. "Apparent Horizon" is reminiscent of 1997’s Surrender to the Night, adding vocals and evoking various 80’s tech heavy pseudo-dramatic TV shows. Song Fade out. Next we have "Interstellar Drift". This is somewhat of a standard rock song, with acoustic guitars. There’s a psychedelic feel, similar to some of the tracks found on 2000’s Red Line. The guitar tracks noodle a bit, but it’s a good pre game for the final 2 tracks. "Maximum Yield" sounds like movie soundtrack to me. It’s ominous, all synth and guitar, no drums. Then fade out. "Space Dock" is the last track. It’s a somber, relaxed track, with a pulsating smooth rhythm, add fluttering guitar/synth mixture.

Thing is pretty good. TA should have been commissioned to record the soundtrack for Tron Legacy. I don’t think Disney would really fall for TA’s antics, though. They probably got scared by some of the band’s promo shots. All in all, check them out live, and if you’re a fan of TA- don’t be afraid. It’s a pretty good album, but not really what I’d call a concept.