Reviewed by Harry Kaplan
Nice filthy dirty, uplifting rock and roll record. I hear some AC/DC, Stooges, T Rex, a little Skynyrd, and maybe even some Boston. What that turns out is a very interesting record that is a blast to listen to. It has elements of 70’s rock but the vocals are much rougher and have more of a punk rock feeling. Vocals are definitely more Stooges leaning. This is a great Saturday night listening party record when you feel like breaking something. That is not a prerequisite, but I don’t think the Matt Truman Ego Trip would mind.
They state that their songs are “made up words that mean nothing”. I don’t think the lyrics are particularly sophisticated, but they mean something to me. For instance, the song Ruin My Life (Track 4) is a nice number about being self destructive and all of the things that can be done to ruin one’s life. And I quote,
Well I can’t wait for Saturday,
So I can buy a couple hookers and a bunch of cocaine,
I’m gonna pull my pants down in the club,
I’ll eat a fist full of pills and drown in the tub
Maybe it’s not Marcel Proust, but it still tells a cautionary tale of what happens if you get too out of control. I think it is meant to be a little tongue in cheek. I for one, will heed their warnings.
So what do we know about The Matt Truman Ego Trip? Well, they are from Bowling Green, OH, which is about 25 miles due south of Toledo, OH which is a rust belt city. Maybe their music is so cacophonous because like Iggy Pop, they grew up around all those factory noises. Mr. Pop said all those banging sounds were what he was trying to capture with the Stooges. Maybe the same is true for The Matt Truman Ego Trip. I don’t know the reason, but these guys and gals sure know how to make on hell of a racket. You should revel in their glorious noise.
Listen and buy Everybody’s Got One