The Trouble

Nobody Laughs Anymore (GMM)
by Scott Hefflon

Monster roar punk from the streets of Boston produced by Brian Mcternan at Salad Days Studios. While The Trouble are often used in the same phrase as Dropkick Murphys (yeah, like that’s a bad thing), they really aren’t at all alike. They’re just both punk bands from Boston. The Trouble has a lot more old punk in the rhythms and paces, where DKM shows off their AC/DC roots (mixed, obviously, with the pace and in-your-faceness of punk) more and more as time goes on. Nobody Laughs Anymore is an appropriate title, seeing as The Trouble sneer through the record as much as they yell about anything and everything. While kinda simple and bare-bones (no real solos, not a lot of pace changes, and with the exception of some nice bass intros – yeah, like Rancid, kids – there’s rarely a moment when every member of the band isn’t grinding away full tilt), that’s certainly not to say that The Trouble don’t have hooks and catchy sing-a-long choruses. Not the type you’ll hear in “hip, clever, and mischievous – two thumbs up!” teen movies that have little or nothing to do with anything other than selling the latest unnecessary fashions and cosmetics, The Trouble write choruses you’ll yell at the top of your lungs while getting pummeled in the pit, on the way to a show with your friends, or crank on your Discman as you desperately try to ignore all the fuckin’ breeders that for some reason are allowed to roam the streets like they fuckin’ own the place.

Covers of Satan’s Rats’ “You Make Me Sick” and an odd pick of closers, Joy Division’s “Insight,” round out this 15 song, 35 minute CD of pure punk mayhem. Great to smash things to.
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