We might have fallen for it the first time around, but by now we all know that Mick Trouble is Jed Smith of My Teenage Stride. His first album, called It’s the Mick Trouble LP just came out on Emotional Response. This time he’s not trying to sound like a 1980 demo recorded in a shed in London. These 12 tunes come across as a less camp Monochrome Set (one song is even called “He’s Frank”) or a The Jam without the punch. If that description comes off as a bit bland, that might just be because I’m not as impressed as I was with the debut EP. The record is not without its highlights though. “A Council Boy” reminds me of the great Direct Hits (the London group, not the Manchester one) and allround the novelty value is high (“Hung Up On a Dram” anyone?). The LP also comes with a flexidisc with a track called “Glad I’m Not Me”, which isn’t available online. Perhaps he should’ve called it “Glad I’m Not Online”.
