Quick Before it Melts

Bitterness is a hard quality to achieve with recorded sound, because it’s so subtle that it often comes across as light sarcasm or down-right rage. For a band to get the balance right, some of the bitterest love songs are like the best candy; they taste tart and sour on your tongue but leave the palate satisfied and hungry for more.

The Trophy Fire make that kind of sugar-coated sour candy in short bursts of guitar rock/pop. I’m not usually won over by this kind of musical soundscape but I really have been digging “Divide” off their new release A Lifetime in the Middle of the Ocean (out now on Talking House Records). What sets them apart are the decent harmonies between Ben Flanagan and Jamie McGoldrick (the dynamic duo behind The Trophy Fire). You can easily imagine the song being played on acoustic guitars and being just as effective and emotional.