If anyone is looking for a spare vocalist for your indie pop fantasy team, you might ask
Tralala, since the Brooklyn group has an astounding four female lead vocalists. Astounding due to the number but also because they are all really good. Nicole, Erin, Lianne, and Stella front the band with style and sass, not going for a girl group-type harmony sound but rather a kind of unison cheerleader approach that gives the sometimes too rote guitar-bass-drums backing a firm kick in the nether regions. There isn't much range or diversity on the group's second album,
Is That the Tralala, but really there is so much energy and alternately giddy and aggressive energy that it doesn't matter much that the songs all kind of sound the punk-poppy same. It worked for
the Ramones, right? A few tunes do stand out, like the wall-rattling call to arms "We're Coming Out," the plaintive rocker "Are You Gonna Dance (With Me)?," the tough-as-steel garage punker "One Hard Turn Deserves Another," and the restrained and moody "Secret Weapon." The covers (of
Giorgio Moroder's "Underdog" and
the Wipers' "Mystery") are extremely well chosen and played too. As good as everything on the album is, the one song that shows the true potential of the group is the amazingly good "Yellow Taxi." It's the kind of song that could drive a basement full of sweaty kids completely mad with its irresistible energy and melody, not to mention the perfect "beep beep" vocal hook. An album made up of songs this good would be a ticket to pop heaven. Until that comes along,
Is That the Tralala will do just fine if you're looking for some indie pop kicks. ~ Tim Sendra