Troublegum (Therapy?) NNR#1
How could we have started a column called “No November Rain” (1), intended as an antidote to fast consumption, without the aptly named Therapy?, a Northern Irish band from Belfast/Larne, led by the charismatic Andy Cairns (vocals and guitar), alongside his two bandmates, Michael McKeegan on bass and Fyfe Ewing on drums? Let’s rewind just a few minutes: it’s 1994, a year that would see the release of, or was still under the omnipresent shadow of, Soundgarden’s Superunknown, Green Day’s Dookie, Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral, Alice in Chains’ Jar of Flies, and Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy, to name just a few. On February 7, however, the smash hit Troublegum left a lasting impression on us teenagers, one that remains indelible more than thirty years later, and carved out a place among the greats, reaching No. 5 on the UK charts before being nominated for the Mercury Prize and ultimately selling over a million copies.
By breaking away from the ubiquitous grunge sound, Therapy? manages to deliver a blend of metal and alternative rock that possesses both the urgency of punk and the effectiveness of pop, from which it borrows, for this album, the melodic sensibility that sets it apart from its earlier, rawer works, which were more in the vein of The Jesus Lizard, Sonic Youth, or Big Black. Yet Troublegum rises to the challenge of a unique sonic fusion while retaining a constant feverish energy and an electrifying rage. Andy Cairns clearly cites the influence of Northern Irish punk bands such as Stiff Little Fingers, The Undertones, and Rudi.
For the single “Screamager,” released in 1993, which was meant to be a sonic exception within their post-punk sound, ultimately serves as the blueprint for this excellent album, which is certainly more accessible but remains influenced by Helmet, the Buzzcocks, and Hüsker Dü, featuring short, ultra-effective tracks, catchy melodies with riffs that are recognizable within seconds yet razor-sharp, and where dark humor reigns. Therapy? addresses frustration, anxiety, and unease, not without a genuine sense of self-deprecation, and with a sincerity that partly explains why this album hasn’t aged a bit. The younger generation unfamiliar with this album might not immediately grasp its originality and maturity without placing it in the aforementioned context, but no explanation is needed to recognize a great rock album, where not a single track is superfluous, from the legendary “Nowhere” and “Trigger Inside” to the highly personal reinterpretation of Joy Division’s classic “Isolation.”
Troublegum remains to this day a great, yet strangely underrated, classic from the ’90s, far behind the grunge giants, undoubtedly for the reason mentioned earlier: its more punk-oriented and European sound. But that’s also what makes it an iconic album for us, the young French people of that era, who embraced it with the appreciation it deserved and still deserves. We love the lesser-known, raw, and punky tracks just as much (with a sound reminiscent of The Almighty’s “Wrench” era) as we do “Unrequited,” which at times flirts with Metallica in both vocals and riffs, or the bangers that run throughout the entire album. It’s impossible to come away unscathed from such a fiery album, whose questions resonate particularly strongly in today’s context: “Screamager,” presented as an angry teenage anthem, could, for example, invite us to reflect on the contradictory demands and pressures of the social media era (which, let’s not forget, didn’t exist back then). And what about “Die Laughing,” where irony is presented as a remedy for the world’s absurdity, what some today call “survival humor”?
We could go on like this for a long time, but we’d rather invite you to (re)listen to this incredible album, one that stands out for its quality, originality, modernity, and relevance. Feel free to leave a comment telling us what you thought of it, how it made you feel, and which tracks are your favorites from Troublegum, whose cover art so perfectly captures a world where people all too often bury their heads in the sand for the sake of peace and quiet, designed by Nigel Rolfe, known for his artistic interpretations of psychological unease. Therapy?, for its part, chose as early as 1994 to throw a stone into the pond, at the risk of splashing a few people, with this album, whose almost clinical title in white on a red background transforms it into a medication to be consumed without moderation and with no prescription other than the advice of the “therapeutic gum chewers” of the time, of whom we are a part!
(1) “No November Rain” is a column dedicated to shaking off the gloom of fall and taking the time to listen to entire albums again, like an invitation to embark on a journey (though we never said it would be a peaceful one). Read the article.
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