Happy Birthday, One Simple Trick!

It’s hard to believe One Simple Trick (OST) is already plunging its proverbial hands into the birthday smash cake! The baby comparisons end there, though. This album has the maturity and polish of a band who’s well into their third or fourth album and is chugging along like a well-oiled machine. I had lofty expectations for OST - I’m talking Lobster Nest-high and then some. OST took those expectations and launched them into the stratosphere. Will really seems to have found his vocal range “sweet spot”, embracing the lower end to create full, warm tones. I’m especially partial to this register in “Scoundrels”, and OST hits you with it right away in the opening notes of “Baptism”. His deeper tone and vocal fry usage perfectly accentuates the dark, haunting vibe of the album. 

I’m a FOOL for a fat, thumping bass, and Ash’s groovy, front-loaded basslines often take the spotlight, driving the melody home like a freight train on songs like “Fatal” and “Monochrome”, which, non-coincidentally, happen to be 2 of my 3 OST favorites. The bass on this album is justsodamncrazyunbelievably scream-worthy. Ash (and the rest of the boys) do NOT get proper accolades for technical abilities. I’d throw this guy the world’s biggest ticker tape parade if I could. The Pebble Brain Trust has listened to me go on about Ash’s skills to no end - thanks for dealing with me, guys. 

Ash and Mark hold down OST’s bottom end with a precise, driving cohesiveness. They create the skeleton that supports the flesh of each track, and there are really special moments on the album where the flesh is stripped back to expose the rhythm-section skeleton. The opening of “Pay & Display” is one of my favorite examples - the bass/drum combo piqued my interest from the get-go.  Lovejoy uses this masterfully on OST to create an anxious tension or a precarious pause mid-song, or put an exclamation point on the beginning or end of a track. Sometimes it’s only the guitars that are dropped, for example, nearly the entire refrain of “With Rob As My Witness”, and I really dig the extra punch it lends to Will’s short, crisp lyrics. 

Speaking of Mark, I know we all appreciate his dependable, driving beats (see: “Fatal”), and how he also really lets it fly (also see: “Fatal” and the crescendo of “Monochrome”). Mark really is the backbone of Lovejoy’s sound, pulling every element together and tying it all up with a reliable yet relentless ribbon. 

Last, but clearly not least, my glass is raised to Joe’s absolutely spot-on guitars. Each chord and note from the “twinkly mum guitar” appears to be placed very precisely and strategically, with the understanding that more is not always better. Joe is a master at inserting the perfect riff at the perfect time for maximum effect. Take “Baptism”, for example. This song is a wildfire. It begins a bit chilly with Will’s signature lush, vivid imagery. He begins with a nod to T.S. Eliot that fits perfectly (“It was a cold coming we had of it, Just the worst time of the year”), and follows that up with “and now the sordid want to get in”, in which I always picture people freezing outside in the snow, desperately banging at the doors for warmth and shelter. The chorus escalates this fire to a measured yet steady burn, and then the fire really starts to run in the bridge, finally blazing completely out of control in the outro. Joe’s guitar work complements this structure, giving the track room to breathe in the beginning, building up to math rock-esque riffs that are almost foreboding, and ending with a powerful sound to back up Will and, well, himself. Joe’s vocals in the outro of “Baptism” and other parts of OST (“Foxholes”, “Monochrome”, “Scoundrels”, for example), add another beautiful layer of texture to the album. He shreds. He sings. He does tree surgery. Is there anything this man can’t do? 

One Simple Trick is crammed with a level of confidence and precision that seems well beyond its years. With this album, Lovejoy has evolved from a quirky little indie band into a group that moonlights as post-punk revival but still knows how to have a hell of a good time, no matter the lyrical content. It feels like every second of One Simple Trick has been placed with the utmost care and intention, but it’s not contrived. It’s actually quite the opposite - this album feels genuine and true to themselves. Thank you, Lovejoy, for One Simple Trick. 

Angie