The third album by Philadelphia's the Trolleyvox (now basically down to singer Beth Filla and guitarist-songwriter
Andrew Chalfen, plus a rotating cast of guests) is a huge leap beyond their already impressive earlier work. The album kicks off with the impassioned call to arms "Just You Wait," a textbook example of how to write a politically charged pop song without preachy name-calling. The urgency of that two-minute opening blast seems to energize the rest of the album, because unlike the relatively mellow jangle pop of 2003's
Leap of Folly,
The Trolleyvox Present the Karaoke Meltdowns has a full-on rock & roll kick even on mid-tempo tracks like the harmony-heavy "I Know That You're High." Even the handful of acoustic tunes, including the lovely "Deep Blue Central" (which makes surprisingly effective use of a field recording of a horse and carriage for its rhythm track), sound more direct and engaged. Matching a uniformly excellent set of tunes to Filla's alluring vocals -- as always, she's the best thing about the band --
The Trolleyvox Present the Karaoke Meltdowns is the sound of a group ready to make an impact beyond the tiny power pop scene. It might work, too: the not-at-all-subtle get out the vote video for "Just You Wait" was a YouTube favorite passed around the left-leaning blogs just prior to the 2006 mid-term elections. ~ Stewart Mason