Camp Trash follow up their 2022 debut LP ‘The Long Way, The Slow Way’ with ‘Two Hundred Thousand Dollars’ – a concept record of sorts that brings together a motley crew of con men, mobsters and cult members with one thing in common: $200,000. They could be spending it, owing it or losing it… Whatever they do, it’s the starting point for the stories on this new record.
‘Year of the Plan ‘ opens with a wish to move to California and a sense of relief – ‘Take this weight off your shoulders’ – amidst Fountains of Wayne hooks, while the following ‘Signal Them In’ has squelches of feedback and US college rock hooks you’ll be humming for weeks. This theme continues through on ‘Between the Xs’, a song with talk of falling asleep in the chaos and how ‘By the time you notice, I lose all focus’.
‘No Vision’ is altogether more venomous with with words like ‘I wish that you would just shut up, gotta get away from what you’re feeling’ being spat out over heavier, punkier riffs. There’s a brash and bold power pop sound on Bigger Better Drug – ‘Brace for impact, stumble into the next trap’ – while heartbreak and self-reflection shine through on the Wilco-esque ‘Believer Now/Rosebowl ’98’: ‘I started to think I overvalued everything you said to me’.
‘Biker Bar’ has a more acoustic feel, albeit with bluesy undertones and a sinister edge: ‘Do you think you can make it in this life? I think you should take the deal’. ‘Heaven or Wisconsin’ closes the album in style, blending jaunty Britpop guitars with the emo stylings of Militarie Gun or Rival Schools: ‘On the surface, seems like nothing could slow us down’.
There may well be 200,000 reasons to listen to the new album from Camp Trash but you just need one: it fucking rocks.