Trixie and The Trainwrecks – “Too Good to be Blue​/​Get Busy Living” [Single Review]

The style of country music Trixie and The Trainwrecks debuted in 2017 on their Voodoo Rhythm-issued 3 Cheers To Nothing LP resides in the outliers, far removed from Nashville’s taste. Voodoo Rhythm’s press release accompanying their new single “Too Good to be Blue”/“Get Busy Living” (pre-save/order here) describes them as a Folk Blues/Garage Beat Trash, a spot-on description of genre blends given the blue-collar/lowbrow/punk rock aesthetic in their songwriting. It’s also a sensible description given the history of the core duo Trinity Sarratt (guitar, vox, drums) and Charlie Hangdog (blues harp, harmonica, percussion) who mostly round out the musicians appearing on the new single, only extra help from fellow Trainwreck, Bruce Brand, adding dynamics on the percussion end.

When asked about the background of this work, Sarratt’s states her intentions with these two tracks are to experiment with the touring lineup (Hangdog and herself) being the sole recording duo demo-ing as a stripped version of the quartet Trainwrecks. The two tracks parallel the songwriting style heard on 3 Cheers To Nothing with roots deep in the honky-tonk style, only the production sounding stripped and other genre experimenting showcased. Her mentioning that these recordings are demo considerations of the duo’s recording capability, the output is full and bright, and the small details bring a sense of humanism to the EP. From her years as a one-woman band leading up to this project, Sarratt’s sound has evolved. However, her lyrical themes are still consistent with her history of writing songs that apply to different life situations and perspectives.

Here’s your chance to stream both “Too Good to be Blue” and “Get Busy Living”:

Side A’s “Too Good to be Blue” is an example of the above with the way the lyrics interpret. Sarratt’s calm and soothing voice gives a sense of ambiguity towards the song’s intended target, whether a current affection interest or a good memory of a former flame. The upbeat rockabilly beat-meets cabaret jazz feel is a new direction for the group with Sarratt’s guitar acting more like supporting cast against Hangdog’s harmonica rhythm. Sarratt’s guitar again gives way to Hangdog’s harmonica for the upbeat-swamp n’ stomp blues feel of “Get Busy Living.” The only track with a demo feel to it in its repetitive rhythms and backwoods dynamics coming from the background noises of London-based Space Echo’s studio personal whooping and hollering throughout.

This EP is only a demo and not a new direction, lineup-wise, for the Trixie and The Trainwrecks, and shows their fondness for trying new things and growing themselves within the underground roots music community. New material is in the works for their upcoming LP with a release date coming this year. Copies of “Too Good to be Blue”/”Get Busy Living” are available via a very limited vinyl pressing exclusively through Voodoo Rhythm Records.

“Too Good to be Blue”/“Get Busy Living” Track Listing:

01. Too Good to be Blue
02. Get Busy Living

Run Time: 6:48
Release Date: October 18, 2019
Record Label: Voodoo Rhythm Records

Fancy more music? Stream the last release 3 Cheers To Nothing here: