Customer Reviews

A Certain Trigger

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Maximo Park is going places. No way around that. They're songs are infectious, witty, energetic and heartfelt and they lack the overly-pretentious lyrics of some of their contemporaries. Lead singer Paul Smith's heavy accent lends a more down-to-earth quality to the songs and his charisma drives the record. The band is even more wonderful live, performing with as much bouncy enthusiasm and talent as you would expect upon hearing the record. This is my favorite CD of 2005 and I can only hope Missing Songs lives up to Maximo Park's fantastic debut.

One of the unheralded albums of 2005! So good, it might trigger goosebumps, ear to ear smiles, head bopping in traffic, and intricate dance moves in living rooms across the world. Well produced polished song writing, with the uncanny ability to stay fresh throughout the album and sound, dare I say "original". This band will be nipping atthe heals, and quickly over taking the lime-light from Bloc Party and Kaiser Chiefs. Essential. On par with Franz Ferdinand, and The Futureheads awesomeness! Essential.

This album first came to my notice in October 2005,when it had in fact been released earlier in May. I had seen Maximo Park on Jools Holland's "Later" and enjoyed their performance. They seemed to stand alone amongst other pop rock/art rock bands. I thought I would like to purchase their debut CD "A Certain Trigger" and I finally did so in the early autumn, not knowing what to expect. I was unsure whether I would even like the tracks.
How wrong was I?? From the moment the CD hit my player I was instantly hooked by the opening drum and guitar bars of the first track "Signal and Sign."
This anthem to changing life direction and getting motivated awoke my interest and lit the blue touchpaper for the rest of the album. Definite and direct,it sets the tone for the other twelve songs on the album.
From then on I never looked back. There isn't a dull,dud or depressing track on this album. It speeds along with the urgency of a train heading to its destination. It has a message for everyone.
Frontman Paul Smith has a distinctive rock voice. It is one that HAS to be listened to. At times it can just border on the light operatic,and there is plenty of melody there. Emotion runs high throughout his vocal delivery and as for his Geordie accent,it adds masses of charm and at times lends a dangerous edge to the words and music.
The second track "Apply Some Pressure",urges the listener to rethink,if things in life go wrong. Good advice indeed. The keyboards chorus is a very catchy one,with jangly piano chords,backup organ and a driving guitar and drum rhythm. This track was released for a second time as a single in the autumn of 2005,I feel it should have got higher than No.17 in the Top 40, but it didn't happen.
"Graffiti" is rather more obscure. There's a political slogan in there somewhere,but the gist of the song could be over most folks' heads. However,Paul's voice is as listenable as ever,returning to the recurring theme of provincial boredom and personal daring.Intriguing stuff.
The fourth track "Postcard Of A Painting",is quite a moving one.The singer is lamenting the loss of a love. Sheer exasperation at the one-sidedness of the relationship comes over and the hopelessness of the situation is evident.
I felt much sympathy for the loser in love in this song.
The next track "Going Missing" is wonderful. Ringing guitarwork accompanies the chorus and again we feel the sadness and loss exeperienced by the singer. Will he get another chance? It's looking very unlikely.
One to bring tears to the eyes,but the upside is that the chorus is immensely singable.
"I Want You To Stay". This is my joint favourite with "Once,A Glimpse". THIS ONE STRIKES A CHORD. It's bittersweet,angushed and sad. But there's not a jot of depression in this track. In fact the lines of the song send shivers down the spine. The writer of these lyrics cannot forget THIS love. She lingers on in his memory......can he let her go?

The remaining seven songs on this album are all unique,particularly "Acrobat" with its dramatic spoken word section by Paul "The sky is often used as a metaphor....."
and is theatrical and compelling. It came as a big surprise the first time I heard it,in fact,and is very moving. The listener finds himself entrapped in emotion in this song,which eventually fades. It is theatrical and compelling.

The last track on the album "Kiss You Better",jumps out off the player with a lighter pace. Quite a jolly final cut-don't get me wrong-not that the previous songs are in any way miserable.
They're far too intelligent for that.
The song ends abruptly,on a strangely satisfactory note.

Well there it is. I can't add more. If you haven't already bought "A Certain Trigger" in 2005,make sure you at least give it a listen and a chance. Its songs will steal their way into your heart and leave your ears wanting to hear more from this remarkably talented band.

I recently learnt that sales of this album had gone past Silver in 2005.

In my opinion,they should have been pure gold.
Submitted by Juliet R

I completely disagree with one of the reviewers below. There are some major notable tracks on this incredible album. The melodies are irresistible, the choruses are insanely catchy, and the lyrics are fun and intelligent. Maximo Park are a very talented band, able to create memorable verses that build up to great choruses. The lead singer has so much energy, and his voice really enhances the songs.
It is simply great music to dance and sing to- a perfect blend of pop and rock.
When I listen to this album on my ipod, it makes me sing along and dance around. If I am in a public place, I have to physically restrain myself from jumping around - now if that's not a sign of an fantastic album, I don't know what is.
Many of the tracks on this album are just as good if not better than their singles. `Apply Some Pressure' is a brilliant pop/rock song as is `Going Missing' and `Graffiti'. The real surprise are the tracks `Postacard Of A Painting' and `The Coasts Are Always Changing', which are beautifully crafted songs- I challenge anyone to try and resist them!
I love this album, and recommend it to anyone who appreciates good rock/pop music.

Post-punk is one of the Sounds Of The Moment, with bands like Bloc Party and the Kaiser Chefs hitting the music headlines. Now Maximo Park offers their brand of high-octane post-punk, which accomplishes exactly what it apparently is meant to do: Be dancey.

It starts off on a rather slow note with "Signal and Sign." It isn't a bad song, but it doesn't really hook you in and make you want to hear whatever comes next. The second song "Apply Some Pressure" manages what the first does not -- killer beats, spasmodic riffs, and some sinuous keyboard that gives it a new wave flavour.

That pattern follows throughout the album, relying on a rough rock mentality tempered with lots of keyboard. Sometimes they err on the side of gritty bass, and sometimes the songs rest on a bed of fuzzy electronics and bouncy guitars. But they all have two things in common: Dancey rhythms, and a new wave edge.

Maximo Park get points for lack of pretension -- they never pretend that their music is anything but fun, dancey music. No arty edges, no bizarre flourishes. It makes their angular rock songs seem more down-to-earth, since they aren't trying to impress anyone.

It does, however, take awhile to separate the songs -- they could have used a bit more variety of sound, which only comes in with the eerie blips and fuzz guitar of "Acrobat." And the riffs tend to fall into a repeating pattern. That said, these guys have enormous energy and kinetic verve, and the new-wave edges bring their buzzing and chiming guitars to life.

And it helps that the singer can actually sing. He's got a pleasantly everyday voice, also without any pretensions of angst or ennui, that can nevertheless stand above the thick dancepunk noise: "If you're gonna talk about the things I need/then you're gonna have to find out what they are!"

While dancepunk may be a trend, Maximo Park gets props for being a pretty good example of the genre. Fun, dancey and unpretentious, these guys may well outlive the trend.

With Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand getting all the attention with their updated brand of Brit new wave à la Gang of Four and Wire, you might (and should) overlook the tons of clones out there glomming on to this latest trend that's been the soundtrack to many a commercial over the past couple years. But please don't lump Maximo Park in this group, they're much more than stylish suits, angular guitars and herky-jerky organ solos. "Apply Some Pressure" is the most inspired and finely orchestrated piece of pop-rock I've eaten up this year. It's incredibly infectious and smartly delivered. Vocalist Paul Smith has a dramatic Paul Weller delivery that combines the spirit and spunk of The Jam with the modern rump-shaking sounds of The Futureheads. These highly-charged chaps from Newcastle, England motor along merrily with inventive and twisty alacrity for the majority of the CD, but really excel when they slow it down a bit and let Smith belt out some serious singing. "Going Missing" is exquisitely heartfelt and "I Want You to Stay" starts as simple little hand-clapper and blossoms into the CD's most satisfying track.

Maximo Park is a great band, who plays really, really cool rock music. I'd say, that their music most resembles the music of other great bands coming from UK, Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs and Block Party. I never heard for Maximo before, but I saw it recommended in some list here on Amazon, next to the previously mentioned bands. So, I got the cd and after listening to it for the first time, I thought to myself, ''hey that music is cool.'' But then, after hearing it for a few times, I just couldn't stop listening to it. This music is so good, and all the songs are almost equally good. I haven't heard a bad song on this cd. So far, my favourite song is Now I'm All Over The Shop. But there are also some others that can be said to be my almost favourite songs.

Apply Some Pressure is one of the better songs on this cd. It's starts pretty lively and is throughout quite fast paced song. The chours are really cool, because the beat for a short time changes from a fast to quite slow one and then it turn back to the fast beat. Really cool chours, you just have to hear it. It's actually a song connected with love and how things would turn out.

The next song Graffiti is probably my second favourite song, mostly because the beat in the chours (''...Well that's enough!
I've had it up to here,...'') sounds similar to one of the old rock songs (I don't know which one, I just have the ebat in my head). A really cool song. You'll find yourself listening to it over and over again.

Going Missing is a bit slower and easier song than the others. There is a cool beat and just some guitar riffs almost throughout the song and more clear singing over the beat, so the songs sounds more acoustic than the others. But then at the end of the song the drums and the guitars are becoming stronger and stronger and the song turn to a harder song, like their other songs. A really nice song.

I have to mention The Night I Lost My Head. It has a cool beginning with really quiet beat and singing and more distinct kind of a humming in the backgroung. It's a cool song, with nice chours. ''... one in a million, two is a crowd, three is company,..,''

Once, A Glimpse starts with a fast paced drumming and then continues in an easy singing becoming louder and louder. The chours of this song, sound, in my opinion, a bit similar to those of Franz Ferdinand, espeacially to This Fire and Michael. But only the chours, the rest of the song is quite different. It's a bit slower and not so fast paced.

Acrobat is quite a different song. This song has a beats that sound more like a kind of a dance-song beats. And there's also just a little singing in this song. And it's not really singing, but more like talking. There's singing only in the chours. But nevertheless, it sounds great.

Now I'm All Over The Shop is my favourite song on this cd. It's starts with cool guitar playing and singing without a beat. But this changes into a really cool rock song, with similar chours then the beginning song. It's really amusing song, sounding a bit funky, which makes it really great.

So, that's all about Maximo Park's A Certain Trigger. For anything more, you'll just have to listen to the cd. And believe me, it's worth getting it, because the music is just so cool.

The British postpunk scene is a crowded field in 2005, but "A Certain Trigger" stands at the front of the pack. Maximo Park has it all: striking tunes, passionate vocals, intriguing lyrics, and musical virtuosity. Bloc Party seems to be a frequent point of comparison (the bands share a producer and a general style-- angular guitars and galloping drums flavored with buzzing keyboards), but Maximo Park projects an approachable, down-to-earth vibe that sets them apart from their brooding comtemporaries.

"Going Missing," "The Coast is Always Changing," and rollicking closer "Kiss You Better" are my personal highlights among a very strong set of songs. The only part of the album that doesn't quite connect is the spoken-word verses of "Acrobat," but at least the band is willing to experiment.

Vibrant, confident, and tightly-crafted, "A Certain Trigger" is one of the best debut albums I've heard in a long time and one of the very best releases of 2005. I'm excited to hear what the band does next. Long live Maximo Park!

Yes, there is a ridiculous number of post-punk bands out there today- The Futureheads, Kaiser Chiefs, etc... and while I love them all, the boys of Maximo Park have proven that they can stand out. The killer riffs and beats are only the beginning- frontman Paul Smith (in addition to proving that combovers can be sexy and making scissor kicks look effortless) writes lyrics full of wit and heartache and sings his heart out with the most conviction I've seen in a lead singer in the past few years. But anyway, to the album...

"Signal And Sign", the album's opener, is a strong beginning with a really catchy beat that sucks you in, but by the time "Apply Some Pressure" opens, the beat is downright infectious. This song is my personal favorite, not just because it is dangerously catchy- it's got everything from the singer's "fragile desperation" (as Smith put it) to the hope of starting all over again and being in love. Maximo Park have been accused of being pessimistic, but this song shows that there is real hope in the midst of all the desperation.

"Graffiti", the album's most popular single, is quintessential Maximo Park- the line "I'll do graffiti if you sing to me in French... What are we doing here if romance isn't dead?" is witty, romantic, and powerful.

"Postcard Of A Painting" is usually overlooked by listeners but it would have been prime single material. The melody bounces along and as Smith cries out "Your eyes are big when they're so close, why can't we say goodbye in public?" the conviction in his voice is amazingly powerful. This definitely has an infectious pop beat that rivals more popular singles like the previous two tracks.

"Going Missing" is one of the more depressing songs but has a melody that sticks in your head, even five days later, when you find yourself singing "This can't go on, so I should just forget it, forget it, forget it..." While the singer is only imagining his love with someone else ("Mr. Brightside"-esquely), you can feel a foreboding feeling throughout the song.

"I Want You To Stay" is my next favorite after "Apply Some Pressure". The beat for this song is very rhythmic and yet different from the other songs on the album. The lyrics paint a vivid, romantic portrait that makes you feel the pain of a lost love that the singer refuses to and can't ever forget. It's the most heartfelt, tearjerking song on the whole album, and really shows off Maximo Park's romanticism, poetry, and ability to make dangerously catchy pop songs that can be mainstream and still touch the heart.

"Limassol" has got a lot of really good keyboard and is quite poppy. It's probably the most pessimistic/angsty but with that angst comes a lot of passion. The line "Saw the lights on in your window, even though they said you'd gone" is a little stalkerish, but pretty good.

"The Coast Is Always Changing" is very direct ("I am young and I am lost"- a big theme of this album) and bittersweet. It's witty like the rest of the album but has an especially earnest quality. The keyboards are really New-Wavey and the song reminds me of the Smiths a lot.

"The Night I Lost My Head" is a little bit humorous as it's basically about meeting someone special, but being just a bit too
inebriated. Just a bit.

"Once A Glimpse" is ridiculously catchy. You can hear the bass and guitar play off each other perfectly- the whole song is brimming with energy and angst. It's definitely one that makes you want to jump around.

"Now I'm All Over The Shop" is different in that the singer is in control of the situation, and that dynamic makes it very interesting. Beginning few lines are especially catchy, and the line "I know you'll be fine now that you're not mine!" is one of my favorite lines in the whole album.

"Acrobat" is definitely different- it's spoken-word, which is often the downfall of many a well-meaning artist (just think Madonna's "American Life" rap)... yet instead of standing out as awkward it stands out as especially poignant. It also slows the album down a bit and gives you a bit of a break from all the crazy dancing you've probably been doing since you started listening... I know it isn't just me... seriously...

"Kiss You Better" races quickly and is maybe the most optimistic song on the album. Smith exits pleading "You, you're so scared, that you're just gonna let it happen!" and before you know it, it's over. In my personal experience, it ends before you can realize it and leaves you optimistic, despite the final line not exactly being full of sunshine.

As for flaws- the only flaw I see is that the album ends too soon! Maximo Park have definitely set the bar high for other bands and for themselves, but if their sophomore effort turns out half as good as "A Certain Trigger" it'll be a knockout (in a good way). Many accuse Maximo Park of being no different from other post-punk bands, even though every second of A Certain Trigger says otherwise. Many artists make catchy pop songs, others make romantic and lyrical songs, but Maximo Park is one of the few bands out there who can combine all these factors so well. Paul Smith, Lukas Wooller (keyboards), Duncan Lloyd (guitar), Archis Tiku (bass) and Tom English (drums) come together to that killer formula that makes Maximo Park soar above the rest. Long live post-punk...

The best praise I can give this album is that it has been in my car's cd player for over a month straight, and it has never grown old. These five guys just know how to write good old fashion catchy songs that will stick in your head days.
For those of you who like to categorize your music, good luck with this one. They mix mod danceability and beats with Cure style pop riffs and throw in some post punk bar chords to boot, stealing pretty much just the best parts of all of the above. The only thing that I think might throw some people is the singers voice. It is a bit quirky in its sound, and his accent is unabashed. I find both just make the album more endearing with each listen, but am not sure everyone would agree.