Trans Am Sex Change by: Mark Simms Mon:28-May-07 Label: Thrill Jockey Year: 2007 WB rating 50 out of 100

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It all sounds too easy, as if Trans Am were hardly challenged while creating this album; the songs exude a simple undemonstrative tone. Because of this it’s easy to listen to, the tracks cruise through, but it sounds more like a band mucking around than challenging their musical capabilities, and Trans Am are capable of so much more. Sure, the album is versatile, sometimes it’s lightly strummed acoustic guitars, other times a raw electric brew, mixed with fascinating drum machines, experimental electro, synth, and keyboards making it easy-on-the-ear. However, the easiest approach isn’t always the best, as the music is lacking the gusto it feels should be there.

When the songs get messy, it’s restrained mess, and this is a major downfall of Sex Change. When something unfamiliar feels like it’s coming, it disappears. These logical leads make the album predictable, and lose the intensity that Trans Am need to be successful. While at first the mix of electro sound effects and swirly synth may seem enough, this formula soon tires; the appealing melodies that swayed and bounced now plain and placid. As such, the largest error in Sex Change is not what’s on the record, it’s what isn’t. As the band seem content to stay within arms length, never reaching outside of the blueprint. This gets boring quickly.

‘4, 738 Regrets’ is a track which bests challenges this criticism, its winding synths mixing with delicate guitar in an alluring way, suggesting that musically Trans Am have found their perfect balance. The best thing about the track is that it seems to wander and embellish; to not cling so tightly to the grand plan. This free-flowing feel is a pleasant change of pace and hints to where Trans Am are at their best. Similarly, in ‘Tesco v. Sainsbury’s’ there is the edge of something unexpected, the drums being the standout instrument, crashing, and driving the song towards the finish line, where it erupts unlike anything else that this record has to offer. Tracks like these are the saving grace of Sex Change, and thankfully the album picks up towards the end. But with a title as confronting as Sex Change, you expect more and, unfortunately, it’s more like playing dress ups than a full blown surgery of tits and jangly bits.