You Will Never Know Why＜Transparent Pink Vinyl & Clear Vinyl＞

Sweet Trips third album was a significant departure from their earlier releases, which were all quite different from each other to begin with. Their debut full-length was an intriguing mixture of space rock, ambient techno, and drumnbass, with elements of pop submerged throughout, and two subsequent EPs expanded on their dance influences. This all led up to 2003s astounding Velocity : Design : Comfort, a staggeringly futuristic fusion of glitchy IDM, shoegaze, and synth pop that was so ahead of its time that it took more than a decade to find a devoted cult audience. Before that happened, though, they released You Will Never Know Why, a more streamlined indie pop record than anything theyd done to that point (relatively speaking). The glitchy effects that helped define Velocitys aesthetic are nearly absent, and it would even be a stretch to call this a shoegaze album, as the group sparingly use wall-of-sound guitars here. The arrangements are sometimes reminiscent of Stereolabs more progressive pop moments, commingling bits of bossa nova, psychedelia, and space age pop, and a few tracks are more intimate and folky, with acoustic guitars and hand drums. While less frenetic and future-shocked than the bands prior work, the songs themselves are much more emotionally direct, dealing with frustration, loneliness, and hopelessness. The albums most memorable hooks (particularly I will never fall in love again and you will drift away) express feelings of disenchantment, loss, and regret, but the melodies are often upbeat and vibrant, and the jaunty Pretending encourages listeners to follow their dreams before their time on this planet is through. Your World Is Eternally Complete offers a similar message of affirmation and invigoration even though life is challenging, demonstrating the bands positive yet realistic outlook. Final track Female Lover (unlisted on the original CDs minimalist packaging) is a bubbly, Krautrock-ish instrumental that seems like a throwback to the groups early EPs, making for a fun, fizzy, carefree conclusion to a poignant, occasionally heartbreaking record. Though not as sonically envelope-pushing as their second album, You Will Never Know Why is easily the most accessible entry in Sweet Trips pre-hiatus discography, containing some of the most affecting, relatable material theyve ever written. ~ Paul Simpson