| “Therapy? have unwittingly become . . . the biggest Northern Irish band going, for starters, with last year’s Top Ten single ‘Screamager’ becoming a solid gold Ulster classic, keeping company with the best The Undertones or Stiff Little Fingers ever had to offer. On top of that, they’ve become the indie band it’s OK for Beavis & Butthead to like..” Terry Staunton, NME, 1994 |
| LONDON: Proper Records, in collaboration with Universal Music Recordings, are delighted to make again available the Mercury Prize-nominated fourth album from Therapy?. Originally released on A&M Records in 1994, Troublegum was a soulful amalgam of metal, punk and indie that offered a striking alternative to Britpop.By the time Therapy? released Troublegum in 1994 they were already well established, but it was the first time many had encountered the group’s intensely melodic blend of hard rock and indie, an arresting combination of old and new, striking in its immediacy.Formed by school friends in Larne, Northern Ireland, Therapy? consistently pushed the rock trio to its limits, often saying that their use of feedback was their fourth instrument. Singer, guitarist and writer Andy Cairns, bassist Michael McKeegan and drummer Fyfe Ewing had been playing together since 1989, and were signed to indie label Wiiija the following year on the strength of their live reputation. After two albums with Wiiija, they were signed to A&M Records, and their 1992 album, Nurse, reached the UK Top 40. The group paired with Mission producer Chris Sheldon and went to Chipping Norton Studios to record a follow-up. The results were stunning.Lead single “Screamager” (on the Shortsharpshock EP) reached the UK Top 10 in March 1993; follow-up “Turn” made the Top 20. By the time Troublegum was released in February 1994, it contained both singles, plus “Nowhere” and “Trigger Inside”, further hits from the album. Troublegum is warm and powerful, showing that grunge was not just the preserve of bands from the western seaboard of the US. Mixed without any discernible gaps between tracks, the album offers 45 minutes of attack. Amid the originals, the band’s post punk roots are shown by their storming cover of Isolation by Joy Division. Widely acclaimed, Troublegum reached No 5 in the UK charts, went Gold and was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. It sounds as fresh today as it did in 1994.The original pressing of Troublegum was available for a limited period in green vinyl – in tribute to that – and to commemorate the album’s 30th Anniversary – the 1LP edition is made available in caramel vinyl, and the double album is in silver and lavender vinyl. This 2LP set contains a further 14 tracks rounding up B-sides and bonus tracks of the era, making it a definitive vinyl package for Therapy? aficionados. Both editions of Troublegum are presented with scrupulous attention to the detail of the original UK first pressing and are pressed onto 180gm vinyl. Whether replacing a much-loved original, or adding to a collection afresh, this is a superior way to enjoy such enduring and influential music.Pre-order links: Troublegum (LP): https://therapyband.lnk.to/troublegum Troublegum Deluxe (2xLP): https://therapyband.lnk.to/troublegumdeluxe |
