Coming more and more to the lips of locals is the act Tripping Linda. This 6 song EP captures a more polished style than one would be able to witness at a live set, but also is recorded in such a way that is not too polished, not too far removed from the youthful energy that they bring to ever show. Influenced heavily by both the pop-punk explosion of the late 1990s as well as the Phoenix that is the revived emo-movement of the last few years, Tripping Linda plays music that is even at its weakest moments still incredibly catchy. Leading into "The Night You Left" with a Blink 182-styled guitar line, Tripping Linda's double harmony during this harmony remind one of Yellowcard or JFT. The track is slightly weakened by the utterly anemic bass solo that takes place during it; methinks that what could considerably been a very rich and lush bass solo was eviscerated by the nuances of the recording. What immediately strikes individuals about Tripping Linda is the sheer cohesiveness of the corpus of their songs; songs that never even breaching the lines of what could be called repetitiveness.
In what could only be called a premature ejaculation of the highest order, the fan favorite "2 Days 2 Late" is stuck right in the middle of this disc. For those who have not been indoctrinated into Tripping Linda, "2 Days 2 Late" chugs through the track with a vibrant bass line, as well as All-American Rejects-styled delivery of lyrics. Pairing "2 Days 2 Late" with "Who Needs You?" was probably a move made by the band to keep the frentic energy of the former. This time, "Who Needs You?" does keep the energy, but it does have some minor issue: somewhat-spacey sounding vocals are indicative of a track that is fraught with echo. "One Day" suffers in the same ways as "Who Needs You?, specifically in the fact that the general sound of the drums is tinny enough to make one wonder whether the drums on the tracks were actually human created or made via a drum machine.
As I am writing this review, Tripping Linda is really making a name for themselves in the Central Ohio scene, playing with a slew of local and semi-regional acts. Perhaps what I've said in this review is a mite harsh, but what can only make this band better is a continued dedication to their general sound. In the short time that I've been aware of the band (slightly over 3 months), the band has endured lineup changes to really make a coherent sound. No one can claim that they haven't tried, and I believe that sometime soon that this disc will be viewed as vital in understanding Tripping Linda. Make sure to pick up a copy of this EP if you like what is currently being on M2 or MTV, pick this CD up if you want to hear yet another interpretation of what punk means to some Central Ohio kids. The music on the disc may not be innovative or have lyrics that will make you question existence, but it is high-energy punk that will smake you smile even through the tears.
Top Tracks : 2 Days 2 Late, Who Needs You?
Rating: 7.0