Trans Am – Volume X

Album Review by Will Fitzpatrick | 28 Jul 2014
Album title: Volume X
Artist: Trans Am
Label: Thrill Jockey
Release date: 11 Aug

There’s a mind-blowing moment halfway through Night Shift, the third track on Trans Am’s Volume X; having shuffled gloriously through two minutes of wide-eyed glam-kosmische, the drums suddenly trip over themselves chaotically, before racing towards the finish line in a fit of motorik euphoria. It makes no sense whatsoever, and is utterly fucking brilliant. But then again, we should expect no less from the D.C. bred trio, whose attention spans have veered down innumerate dark alleys for the best part of 20 years.

Things get underway with Anthropocene’s tripped-out riffology, tweaking the noses of the nu-psych generation while beating them at their own game – a tidy warm-up for Backlash’s searing blowtorch thrash. In calmer territory, Nate Means takes the lead on the shimmering, vocoder-drenched I’ll Never, channelling the phase of Skynet’s self-awareness where it abandons the extermination of mankind after getting into Julee Cruise and Suicide. Ten albums in and still no let-up: treasure ‘em. 

Playing Manchester Ruby Lounge on 10 Nov http://www.thrilljockey.com/thrill/Trans-Am