True to its title, this is a more troubled second outing for Brooklyn’s Hospitality. The carefree, bordering-on-twee gusts of melodies found on songs like Betty Wang and Friends of Friends are fewer and farther between here, paving the way for a more spacious sound with more synths added to the mix and considerably less carefree lyrics.
Measured against their debut’s faultless run, Trouble suffers from a couple of inconsistency issues, particularly when its venturing into more daring musical territory isn’t matched with decent songs. Sandwiched between album highlights I Miss Your Bones and Rockets And Jets, the slight Inauguration gets by on a buzzing backdrop that apes the intro to Robyn’s Dancing On My Own, but soon slips by almost unnoticed. The new-wave disco of Last Words is a more successful embrace of electronica, but outstays its welcome in its last couple of meandering minutes.
A few slip-ups aside, there’s still much to enjoy here. While it’s not quite on par with their underrated debut, new elements are added and the music’s scope is expanded without messing with the uncomplicated nature of the three-piece’s sound. This may be a tougher, darker incarnation of the band, but it’s the gentle ballads in the second half of Trouble that boosts its quality, adding some heart to the bulk of the album’s headiness.
BY CHRIS GIRDLER
Best Track: Rockets And Jets
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Rambutan LANDSHAPES, Dream Cave CLOUD CONTROL, Warpaint WARPAINT
In A Word: Moodier
