Tralala

Is That the Tralala

BY Cam LindsayPublished Feb 19, 2007

Before the Pipettes, Tralala were leading the girl group façade (girls singing up front, while boys play the instruments in the rear), but it seems like the Brooklyn septet have been beaten at their own game by Brighton’s polka-dotted darlings. Emerging last year with a charming self-titled album of hardened Banana Splits-flavoured numbers, Tralala have traded in a lot of the innocuous pop goodness for more of a Runaways edge. It’s not an alteration that leaves a bad taste in your mouth, but this is like watching your teenager daughter socialising with the leather-clad kids at school that smoke. Going for something tougher and a little more dangerous, Is That the Tralala isn’t exactly hard as nails, but it’s a lot more Rizzo than it is Sandy. And that’s completely fine, but I’m a little tired of the Donnas, and was expecting some more hits with the spirit of the Shangri-Las — who were tough gals rockin’ softly. Instead "Take Me As I Am” struts like a bored X-Ray Spex and "We’re Coming Out” announces their disobedience with tired Ramones riffs and a clichéd chorus. Tralala are bright enough, however, to fall into this trap with some of their best stuff in tact. "Yellow Taxi” is a hummable bid to get home after a rough night out, while "Boys of St. Mary” is classic beach fun done right with the bubbly core that is missing from most of this sophomore album. Here’s to hoping Tralala abandon their goals of progressing and regress to where they were a few years ago.
(Audika Records)

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