Warren Maxwell, Ben Wood, and Rio Hemopo of Trinity Roots. Photo / Supplied
Warren Maxwell, Ben Wood, and Rio Hemopo of Trinity Roots. Photo / Supplied
The many of us who believed the two albums by the first incarnation of Trinity Roots were important statements about life here in Aotearoa will be disappointed - if not insulted - by this superbly produced but woefully undercooked album.
There are frequently threadbare lyrics ("We got to find thediamond in the rough" is the least of it) and it's mostly dated prog-rock with overtones of MOR-LA jazz-lite or faux-soul.
The crunch 'n' quiet King Crimson shapes of Bully is followed by the piano jazz-cum-reggae groove and inane lyrics of the 11 minute Citizen about some imagined, boastful wealthy type ("but you don't even know your neighbours" sing the soul-gal Greek chorus before the flute and sax solos) which barely moves beyond cliche.
The overriding political ethos revolves around crayon-like drawings of the soulless rich in superyachts, hapless citizens under the thumb of some EL Kaptain (PM Key "heading too far to starboard. To a fission"?) and/or the Governor ("Governor shepherds me like a helpless bovine"). Playing the victim in slow-tempo prog-plod is hardly appealing.
This sounds good but delivers fewer barbs than it thinks it does, is replete with ponderous prog-rock dubby tropes and attempts to be portentous in its socio-political intent (Hercules, Haiku).
