Trans Am – Liberation
(Thrill Jockey)

Although Trans Am threw listeners a curve ball with their last release “TA”, Liberation is a fine return to form for these primarily instrumental avante-garde rockers. The band has been known for mixing a variety of musical styles over the years, but 2002’s “TA” diverged a little more than usual, playing out like a tongue-in-cheek 80’s pop record. It alienated some fans, while simply confusing others. Needless to say, it also left many people wondering what was next for the trio.

Well everyone can breathe a sigh of relief because Liberation does not run the risk of alienating or confusing any Trans Am fans. The new album captures many of the classic Trans Am sounds that we have come to know and love over the years, but also some interesting new experiments as well. What’s more, it’s the first Trans Am album to have a real tangible political theme to it, a result of life in post-9/11 Washington, D.C.

The lead off track “Outmoder” is an outstanding instrumental track that showcases the driving, robotic rhythms that they are best known for. The precise bass/guitar/drum attack is reminiscent of the simple yet hard-hitting songs from their self-titled debut album.

This is followed by the first explicitly political song, “Uninvited Guest”. It mixes together a collage of sound clips from George W. (manipulated at times so that his voice sounds strangely demonic) backed by electronic beats and some eerie synths. This general formula is also used on such songs as “White Rhino” and “Spike In Chatter”, implementing the same minimalist electronics that were found on The Surveillance and Surrender To The Night.

“Total Information Awareness” is an epic Futureworld-esque track with sinister keyboards and vocals delivered through a vocoder, while “Music For Dogs” contains the only real trace of the 80’s influence from “TA”. The highlight of the album just might be the song “Idea Machine”, which finds the band seemingly soaking up more from the D.C. vibe than merely the tension and paranoia, as they incorporate angular guitar riffs that conjure up thoughts of Fugazi.

Overall, Liberation is one of the most cohesive and well-written albums Trans Am have ever released. Most Trans Am albums have at least a few throwaway tracks with droning ambient noise or strange sound effects, but Liberation is pretty much concise and to the point. While it works great as a whole album tied together by the political themes, it also contains some of my favourite individual Trans Am songs to date. If you’re a fan of the majority of their previous work, you won’t be disappointed. On the other hand, if you’ve never had the pleasure of listening to a Trans Am album before, this is the perfect chance to get acquainted. — Sean