The Stray Trolleys
are a fascinating historical footnote in the long, interesting career of
Martin Newell
, the fascinating Englishman best known for his work with
Cleaners from Venus
. Recorded in 1980 after he'd left the band
Gypp
and struck out on his own, the songs on
Barricades and Angels
were recorded quickly with small combo of steady-handed musicians and sound like the work of a pub rock band. Most of them are rollicking songs that wouldn't have sounded out of place on a
Nick Lowe
album; they're simple and hooky, powered by
Newell
's cheery vocals, the tight rhythm section, and the snappy guitars of
and
Malcolm Burch
. "Governor's Only Daughter" and "Stiletto Love" sound like they could have been minor hits, "Finding Out" comes across like a star-crossed track from a coming-of-age movie, and "Mrs. Killer" puts most American power pop to shame with the huge hooks and pulsing energy. A couple tracks dip a toe into the omnipresent reggae sound that new wave bands couldn't seem to help themselves from borrowing -- these aren't the main attraction, but they aren't too embarrassing, either. What is nowhere to be found is any post-punk angst or punk aggression, that really wasn't
's scene. His music should have been embraced by the people digging
Joe Jackson
or following
Rockpile
from pub to pub; instead, despite a bit of label interest,
the Stray Trolleys
' music fell on deaf ears. The album wasn't even released until two years later, and then only on a small run of cassettes.
went on to different things, but the music he made with
Stray Trolleys
is a nice snapshot of a very specific time and sound that any fan of
,
Dave Edmunds
Graham Parker
, or
XTC
could easily appreciate. In 2016,
Captured Tracks
reissued the album as part of a series of
-related releases. As luck would have it, digital files of the original masters were found and the mix is cleaner than even
's own copies. Added on for additional benefit is one extra track, "Mrs. Killer." ~ Tim Sendra