"Sexy
Losers"--The High Score (released on Lynn Point Records, Knoxville)--ALBUM
REVIEW
“It
wastes me, but it saves me” – Robbie Trosper
It is rock music. It accompanies him on walks down the
streets, brings him to girls who don’t love him, keeps him from being all
alone and ultimately defines him. Why do love songs have to be about girls?
Why can’t they be about Motley Crue?
The High Score emerged from the ashes of a pair of
local favorites. Those familiar with the Knoxville music scene will recognize
Robbie Trosper and Jason Peters from The Faults and Chris Cook from Mustard.
After the break-ups of these respective bands, the guys recruited Cook’s
roommate Dave Walker to round out the new group and record their debut record
on Lynn Point Records.
"Sexy Losers" is Trosper’s coming out
party. After playing second-fiddle to lead man Mic Harrison (now a member of
Superdrag) in The Faults for a couple of years, Trosper emerges as a credible
lead man in his own right. His guitar-playing has always been outstanding, but
his song-writing and vocals matured during his tenure with The Faults. Compare
the obnoxious bashings (that description is meant as a compliment, btw) of
“Mohawks and Birkenstocks” to the beauty of “I feel bad for you” or
the musical maturity of “Blown-out Radio” to see the leaps and bounds
Trosper has taken in his craft.
“Blown-out Radio” opens the album with a Ric Ocasek-Guided
By Voices-era hook and feel that just begs to be on college radio. “Just
maybe, I don’t want to think tonight” echoes a weary Trosper before Peters
hammers home his point with a pounding drum fill. He doesn’t want to be
alone, but the whole world is crowding him. He’s content with the praises of
an unreliable source. He’s alone, confused, getting old and just wants to
rock.
Rock takes him to various other places on "Sexy
Losers." The local rock club introduces him to a “spec-TAC-u-lar”
girl whose love is lacking in “She Don’t Love Me.” Rock provides the
soundtrack to his heartbreaks in “Songs to Break Up to ’95.” It gives a
“skinny white boy” a purpose in the ode to growing up and L.A. metal
“Motley who.”
It wastes him, but it saves him.
It is not rock but pity, however, that supplies the
strongest moment of The High Score’s debut. “I feel bad for you”
is a loathing, simple putdown. Highlighted by Cook’s gorgeous
slide-lead (he also supplies two of his own songs to the record) and the
harmonies of Trospers and Peters, “I feel bad for you” sits besides The
Replacements’ “Within Your Reach” as unexpected, uncharacteristic and
brilliant. “I’ll bet you feel stupid when you try and talk” opens the
stinging dismissal of this pathetic character. Think about the hero of
Springsteen’s “Glory Days” – obsessed with his past achievements,
living for yesterday. Trosper rips into him (who could very well be himself)
with a sneer that belies the underlying egotism of the insult.
But to overthink this record is to miss its point because
it has none. It is rock music - pure and simple. It is loud, it is
guitar-driven and it kicks your ass. This is a wonderful, promising debut from
a band that understands rock ‘n’ roll rather than one attempting to
imitate it. Turn it up loud! --Chris Carpenter
