At the mere mention of the term "sex change," the obvious comes to mind: an operation paired with hormonal treatment that transforms somebody's physical characteristics from those of one sex to the other. Naturally. But what could the words "sex change" mean when used by the prog-rock/electronic trio Trans Am as the title of their upcoming album?
Upon hearing that Trans Am's latest record would indeed be named Sex Change, postulations were readily made that this record would mark some sort of departure or redirection in sound for the band. After all, Trans Am is notorious for its refusal of stylistic stasis, earning it an amorphous reputation that quite readily conjures the word "change." The band's seven-album history has been one of genre androgyny — everything from electronic synth-pop and instrumental prog-rock to techno and electroclash seems to have been covered by the band. And in that regard, the new multi-style album, Sex Change, on Thrill Jockey Records, doesn't seem to stray far from its predecessors.
After Trans Am's 2004 album, Liberation, the band temporarily disbanded, spreading out over the globe to three different continents. After months of geographic separation, the band reconvened in Auckland, New Zealand, to begin recording its next album. The band recorded a few songs there before returning to New York City to finish what would eventually become Sex Change.
Attempting to undergo a gender metamorphosis via sound, Trans Am members decided to hardly use any of their own instruments and gear while recording in the hopes that using borrowed and less familiar equipment would influence them to produce a different and departed sound. With all of the ingredients for change there — geographic experimentation, newfound instrumentation and temporary separation — the band does accomplish an eclectic sound in the spirit of its album's title. But the main question is: Is that sound really worth listening to?
The first three songs are some of the album's best, and they display Trans Am's forte — electronic music. The opening song, "First Words," has synthesizers and a beat that play like they're in a European discotheque. Following "First Words" is "North East Rising Sun," an atmospheric electronic number that is propelled by rhythmic synthesizers as well as soft and soothing lyrics.
The third song, "Obscene Strategies" — whose title is a reference to Brian Eno's recording technique called the "Oblique Strategies" — displays the band's love of employing different musical styles into each album. The song — a Parliament-inspired funk jam — shows that Trans Am can "get down" on the funk dance floor as well as in the techno house. The rhythm guitar riff, bass synth and straight dance beat all seem to call for the vocals of George Clinton. But unfortunately, we never get them. Instead, there are sparse low-toned vocals that seem underdeveloped in front of the funk foundation that backs them.
"Conspiracy of the Gods" is yet another departure from the electronic timbre of the first three with its distorted guitar riffs and energetic drums that could be allocated to banal metal and punk influences. But this departure is not for the best. When first hearing the song, the listener may be confused as to whether this song is even by the same band. And this is the album's tragic flaw — its genre and stylistic promiscuity gives the album incoherence rather than creative eclecticism.
Diversity in sound and style is something that can be accomplished through the practice of subtlety and the mastery of transition, but Trans Am's reckless shiftiness is inarticulate and jumbled. Songs like "Reprieve," an instrumental nod to German krautrock, and the dreamy "4,738 Regrets" display the band's mastery of synthesizers and drum machines, while others such as "Shining Path" and "Conspiracy of the Gods" exhibit the bands trite attempts at generic rock with distorted guitars and hard-rock drums. Their electronic and techno prowess is well-developed and is the band's strong suit, but their preoccupation with trying to incorporate too many different musical styles just leaves the audience listless.
Trans Am's Sex Change loses its appeal in trying to avoid any sort of genre classification. The fact that the members of the band had spread themselves out between three separate countries may have ironically contributed to this album sounding like it is all over the map.
Sex Change's discontinuity simply fails at captivating, engaging or resonating with the listener. Its compilation-like sound leaves the listener unsatisfied with Trans Am's attempted sex change, as remnants of its old prog-rock days taint the promise of its new electronic trajectory. Trans Am's electronic direction, while at times underdeveloped, shows potential to be greatly enjoyable, but Sex Change's lack of unity eventually detracts from its better moments and makes the overall album mediocre.
Grade 2.5 out of 5
