Timing is Everything...Trail's new "City"

Timing is everything. In music, it can mean the difference between a mediocre performance or a moment in time that infects the memory of the listener for years. In the business of music, a shrewd sense of timing can make or break a career. There is a band on the Sellaband web site that has displayed a very acute sense of timing in both regards.

I reviewed Trail early last summer and the only issues I felt justified in raising at that time had to do with sound quality. As to the quality of the playing and more importantly, the songs, I had only complimentary words for this group's offerings. Rather than repeat myself, you can read the review here.

In the time since that review, Trail has been working hard toward their goal of becoming a viable recording act. Recently, they have posted a new version of their song "City" on their profile page and I was very curious if the new version would be an improvement over the recording I had originally reviewed. To put my reaction in one sentence: Trail, you are clever, clever lads.

The "hit potential" of any given recording can many times be measured on a timeline. Success can depend on what happens in the ten seconds after pushing "play." This is the first example of Trail's impeccable sense of timing. From the first note of "City" I wanted to hear more. And when the guitar kicked in at six seconds in, I was sold. Trail has gone to some expense in producing this song to professional standards. The effort, as well as the expense, shows.

I know that there was some concern about sacrificing the vibe of the original demo when putting the song under the surgeon's knife in a professional studio environment. "City" proves that this doesn't have to be the case. The recording is a perfect example of how not to fuck up a great performance. The ambience of the recording is intimate, with a warm presence that gives the listener a seat in the room as it all goes down. The drum sounds are pure and don't suffer from the over-processing that so tempts the home recording engineer/producer. The bass and drum balance is the perfect foundation for the guitar sounds that first drew me to listen to this band. The dynamics of the solo section show a mature sense of restraint without which the impact of the second section would be lost. And throughout the song, as exciting as the instrumental mix is, the vocal is never crowded into a corner but soars right up the middle with plenty of space to breathe. "City" sounds like an ass-kicking rock recording...period.

As to the performance, Trail's sense of timing once again looms large. These guys play simple, hard and, most importantly, together. You can eq the bottom end of a recording to death, but if the information isn't there, you're just pissing in the wind. The bottom end of "City" is rich, round and has impact because it was played that way...with balls. There is also that elusive feel that musicians describe as "swing" oozing in the cracks between all the parts. If it were possible to improve on the feel of the demo, Trail has done exactly that. "City" feels like an ass-kicking rock recording...period.

Now, as to the shrewdness of Trail's timing in a business sense, this new version will kill more than its share of birds with one stone. Posting songs on Sellaband is a matter of proving potential. Certainly, the songs previously presented have indicated that Trail has what it takes to make a great album, given the budget to avail themselves of the proper tools, facilities and expertise. This new version of "City" positively proves the point. And Trail's timing is spot on. The band is very near to reaching the halfway point in their quest toward the 50 Thousand dollar recording budget proscribed by Sellaband. Coming at the halfway point, this recording should prove to Trail's existing believers that they do indeed have a winner. I predict that new investment in Trail is imminent and forthcoming as well.

I try to call them like I see/hear them and I thought a lot of this band when I first heard the demos. Now I'm looking forward to a full album of top flight songs from these guys. If "City" is any indication, I know I won't be disappointed. Trail is an ass-kicking rock band...period

Sellaband's Trail and Memories...

I just had a good listen to the three tracks offered on the Sellaband web site by a band called Trail. Keeping in mind that these are mp3 files and there are some sonic compromises associated with compression, I'd like to thank the band for screwing away my workday by shifting my mind away from the tasks at hand and forcing me to relive some rather pleasant memories of my very first days as a musician...days spent staring at Fender Guitar catalogs as if they were my older brothers hidden Playboy magazines.

When I first began to play the guitar and later, the bass, I would walk home from school and linger at the window of the local music store. In the window there stood a half dozen Japanese guitars. They were similar to corresponding American models, but there was always something just a bit "off" about them. The pickguards were perhaps a bit garish, the finishes too sparkly, the headstocks close, but mis-shapen enough to make the instruments have the appearance of trying to be something they were not.

On occasion I would make my way to the back of the store. And there, in the cool air laden with the sweet aroma of tolex, dusty tube amps and bins of sheet music, I stood and stared at what was to me the most beautiful form I could imagine the angels had brought to this earth. Genuine, in the flesh Fender guitars! The single most captivating image was the headstock. I still catch myself staring at my '62 Precision Bass in the same way today...as if I had a nineteen year old Bridget Bardot in my sights.

And that brings me back to Trail. Listening to their music, I found myself drifting off into those early days when I would stare at pictures of George Harrison to see if I could copy the way his left hand formed a chord on the guitar neck. I think that it's mainly the guitar sounds on these songs that does that.

My earliest bands played surf music because none of us wanted to sing. After we found that singing drew more girls, we made the jump to songs by The Animals, The Yardbirds and of course The Beatles. Trail's guitar sounds are nostalgic in character. The tone as well as the voicings and parts, in their simplicity, have a freshness that cuts through the bullshit of the arsenal now available to guitarists that many times dials their sound out of the realm of human empathy.

There is a wonderful album by my pal, Richard Bennett entitled "Themes for a Rainy Day" which is THE dictionary of vintage guitar sounds. Richard has been doing it for a few years and with the best in the business. His discography is gargantuan. Trail is well on the way to developing a sonic signature at a very precocious stage of development.

Trail's vocal sound is equally captivating. There is youth and angst tempered with restraint and good musicianship. It isn't easy to get mature ideas across and sound fresh doing it. "Shapes of Things" by the Yardbirds comes immediately to mind as a good example. Again, Trail deserves high marks in this department.

There is however, one area which I question. The drums and bass tracks are played very well, but for my taste, they are not as impactful as the guitars. I would like to hear a bit more "in your face" mixing attitude. But again, these are mp3 files. If the mixes are a matter of taste, fair enough. But I can't help thinking that given the right production resources, Trail would sound bigger than the recordings on the web site indicate.

In any case, Trail is fast approaching their goal of generating enough belief in their music to warrant making a top-notch album. I'm looking forward to hearing this band tear it up.