Search - Tram :: Kind of Closure

Continuation of downbeat sound of earlier albums

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 08/05/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Tram's third album continues the downbeat, melancholy sound of their previous two outings. The mood takes in the quieter moments of the Velvet Underground, the weariness of later-day Marianne Faithfull, and, perhaps most ingeniously, the drama of '60s era arrangements from the likes of Burt Bacharach. A few spots, such as the title track, show a bit of the VU's cacophony, and the closing track finds an almost hopeful up beat."Painful Education" seamlessly weaves pedal steel into the mix of slowly strummed acoustics, violin, piano and bass, and the muted horn arrangement and cymbal-work of "Theme" sit heavily in the air like the clouds of an approaching storm. Spare, delicate ballads like "Forgive Me Dear" and "Fools" unfold in super-slow motion - like non-ironic versions of Nick Lowe's "Endless Sleep."With titles like "The Hope Has Been Taken Away," "You Let Me Down," and "Forgive Me Dear" Tram's latest LP is likely to please those who mope to The Smiths or tuck themselves away in their dorm rooms for repeated listenings of Leonard Cohen.3-1/2 stars, if Amazon allowed fractional ratings."