Customer Reviews

Gun Shy Trigger Happy

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
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It would be easy to lose Jen Trynin in today's throng of "girls with guitars," but "Gun Shy/Trigger Happy" is so well-written, well-produced and well-performed that to call Trynin just another girl with a guitar seems as criminal as saying F. Scott Fitzgerald was just another guy with a typewriter.

For one thing, Trynin is an excellent guitarist whose playing is concise and often powerful. (One may be surprised to find, given the varied texture of the parts, that she is the album's sole guitarist.) She sticks to catchy, crunchy riffs and simple guitar figures that often develop throughout the songs, and her "solos" are chord/rhythm-oriented, which contributes to the taut structure of each song. "Gun Shy" has a wealth of beautifully realized musical ideas that compliment Trynin's pared-to-the-bone lyrics and evocative singing. She and producer Mike Deneen have used the bite of Trynin's 1994 major label debut, "Cockamamie," as a foundation and filled out her sound with such subtlety and imagination that every song is wholly satisfying in its own way. Personal favorites: "Getaway," which builds majestically on layers of rhythm guitars and backing vocals; "Writing Notes," where Trynin decries lost innocence with touching candor; and the delicate "Rang You and Ran," which is as neat a capsule as anyone needs about vulnerability in the face of a failed relationship.

Regrettably, after such an artistic triumph, Trynin was dropped by her label due to what she has diplomatically described as "restructuring" in the music industry. We may all seize on music biz foolishness as an easy excuse for why "Gun Shy" didn't go platinum right out of the gate, but anyone familiar with the history of great music that somehow slipped through the cracks knows that this is the kind of album whose reputation grows by word of mouth and eventually becomes a classic. In other words, stand "Gun Shy/Trigger Happy" up next to The Velvet Underground's third album and Big Star's "Radio City." It's really that good.

It's such a shame more people don't know about Jennifer (Jen) Trynin. She is by far the most overlooked, most underrated artist of the past 10 years. Both "Cockamamie" and "Gun Shy Trigger Happy" received unanimously favorable reviews when they were released, but alas, aside from some alternative-rock success with the single, "Better Than Nothing", Jen unfortunately was overshadowed by Alanis Morissette (whose "Jagged Little Pill" came out at virtualy the same time as "Cockamamie"). Each track on these CDs is a standout; Jen is not only an amazing singer and guitarist, but a fantastic songwriter as well. I had the good fortune to see her perform live twice in Chicago in 1997 and 1998 (once opening for Paula Cole and then headlining a few months later), and Jen can rock with the best of them. If only she had she been picked up for the Lilith Fair a few years ago! I believe she is now concentrating on prose writing, and she's also performing in a band called Loveless in the Boston area. If you're into extreme rarities, "Trespassing", her 5-song EP from 1988, is well worth searching for (I believe it was available on vinyl and cassette only). Other goodies worth seeking out are the "Safe and Sound" compilation CD (featuring Jen's awesome track, "Don't Take It Out On Me"), "For The Love Of Harry" tribute to Harry Nilsson, (she covers "Mourning Glory Story"), the "Respond" compilation (for her track, "Sad Girl"), and "Viva Noel: a Q Division Christmas" (for her beautiful take on "The Christmas Song"). In the meantime, do yourself a favor and check out both "Cockamamie" and "Gun Shy Trigger Happy"; these are two hidden gems that are well worth discovering... I promise you will NOT be disappointed!

If you think the best records are the ones that get played on the radio and/or win Grammies, then you are WAY off. Trynin has released yet another wonderful pop-rock record, only to be dropped by her record label in favor of "better selling" artists. But the label's loss is our, well, it's our loss too. Trynin is as talented a guitarist as she is a singer and songwriter. She's the whole package. Pick up this record before it disappears into oblivion completely. Its hard enough to find good music anymore. Don't miss your chance on this one. Why ANYONE listens to the radio anymore is beyond me. ALL of the best stuff still sits languishing in the CD bins, unheard by the the general public's ears.
Or then again, you can buy just the radio hits and continue to be a part of the problem.

Once again the Boston music scene has produced another solid artist. If you're a fan of Buffalo Tom or Juliana Hatfield, you might want to try out another Beantown success story, Jen Trynin.

Jen delivers an album that in many ways improves upon the promise of her first album, 'Cockamamie.' Her songs still retain the harder guitar that separates her from most alternative pop artists, and her voice and lyrics still show off her sarcastic and witty ideas.

'Gun Shy, Trigger Happy' delivers a little more variety. "Getaway (February)" is a pretty pop ballad, while "Under the Knife" is a creepy social commentary, reminding me of Mazzy Star or the Velvet Underground. And there are plently of the style of song found on her first album, like "Washington Hotel" which should appeal to anyone who was a fan of her debut single "Better than Nothing."

Another find for fans of alternative music. I still wonder why people like Alanis Morisette get overplayed, while artists like Jen Trynin & Liz Phair deserve more airplay. There are plenty of female artists out there, who show as much skill with the pen as with the guitar...discover some of them, and start with Jen Trynin.

An absolutely superb album of finely crafted pop-rock, leavened with a handful of gorgeous ballads with sparse, hip-hop influenced backing tracks that, for once, sound right rather than trendy. The lyrics are heartfelt and insightful, and on the closing track, "Rang You and Ran," they rise to a Liz Phair-like level of brilliance. Why this didn't sell a million copies is a complete mystery.

As a Boston-area native, I was turned on to Jen Trynin through some musician friends gigging with her in the late 80s - and from the moment I heard her do "Knock Me Down", I was a groupie. That song, with its heavy-rocking offbeat, is still one of my all-time favorite rockers and a pretty good gauge of her dark, off-kilter often-funny musical and spiritual perspective. I kept waiting for her to break out as a star. That she didn't is frustrating in large part because it means so many people who'd like, maybe love her, will never hear her. It's understandable that she's compared to Alanis, but she's a better writer and musician, and less hysterical (don't get me wrong; I do like some Alanis songs). We can still spread the word, though. Buy both Gun Shy and Cockamamie (which includes Knock Me Down). Apparently she's finally finished her memoir about her roller-coaster experience with big-time music industry....Don't know how much music she's doing these days....

This is a terrific release from the reclusive Boston singer. She has a knack for harmony and an epic fullness in her songs. Lyrically they are intense yet clever, and often biting. No sappy or sophomoric Jewel/Imbruglia nonsense here--Trynin writes pop tunes with punch. Intelligence required. J. Rosenfeld

I'll keep this review short and sweet: I bought this cd when it first came out in 1997. There hasn't been a week that has gone by since then that I haven't listened to most or all of this superb sophomore effort. Unfortunately, it was also her last. She's so musically gifted it's hard to believe she is done with it all. Our loss.

Great album from lovely Jen Trynin.
I recently discovered her music, and both albums are near perfect.
I hope she is doing well now.

I think a lot of people that have actually heard Jennifer, or these days, Jen trynin, simply do not give her nearly enough credit for being such a wonderful singer/songwriter. I would say she is a witty, sharp tongued, work of art who is also a really great guitar player. Her lyrics touch upon a little of every human emotion. She is known for her catty lyrics, on one of my favorites, the razor sharp (literally) "Under the Knife" which is about plastic surgery. I have never heard her at her most angriest, she practically hisses the words,' I want to go under the knife/so that maybe my life could be like yours/I'll take blue eyes/and maybe you can suck out my thighs'. A lot of the lyrics revolve around being scorned in love, I personally love her style for that reason, like 'I Resign'; 'I'd like to say it was great while it lasted/but I won't lie.' My favorite songs are "Everything," 'is something wrong with me/trying has cost me everything,' and you can't dismiss the sonic guitar assault on "Bore Me." The song that sticks out in my mind as one of the most low key, sensitive and beautiful songs on here, "Writing Notes", 'I miss the time when life was so brand new to me/I could barely keep anything inside/I miss the time when I could never lie to you/I would never have anything to hide.' Everyone should at least give her a chance before dismissing her as a 'one-hit wonder' with the song on her first disk, "Better Than Nothing." If you liked that song enough, you should definitely give her a chance. I don't have enough kind words to say about who I think is a fiercely talented, raw songwriter and excellent guitar player.