CD Review: The Tripwires – Get Young

At times, The Tripwires may remind one of Glenn Tillbrook and Squeeze. A track or two on their latest, Get Young, may ilicit one to pull Elvis Costello’s This Year’s Model out and dust off the ol’ turntable. Or maybe Rockpile’s Seconds of Pleasure. And the release’s cover photo is eerily reminiscent of Dr. Feelgood’s Down At The Jetty.

This is pub rock for a new age. Its fun, fast at times and makes fresh an old, under appreciated genre.

This is a collection of extremely well written songs with hooks that will stick with you long after the first listen. Highlights include the title track, “Get Young”, the frenetic “Owner/Operator”, and the unforgettable “Anything Nice”. Elvis Costello fans will dig “Gratitude”, which could be the bastard step-child of “The Beat”. Truth is, there isn’t a bad track on the disk. I find myself with a new favorite nearly each time I listen to it.

The Tripwires consist of former members of such bands as The Model Rockets, The Young Fresh Fellows, Mudhoney and Minus 5, all very accomplished, making The Tripwires a sort-of supergroup a la Rockpile. So move over Kippington Lodge, Eggs Over Easy and Kursaal Flyers. This is pub rock for the new millennium and its better than ever.