The TR5's

With ‘A Triumphant Return’, their second full-length release, the TR5's have proven that their debut was no happy accident. This is not merely a continuation; it’s an escalation. The record positively struts with confidence, opening with the hip-swaying swagger of ‘Showdown At The Ace Café’, which calls to mind the rebellious charm of Wanda Jackson fronting a particularly sharp house band. It’s a statement of intent, bursting out of the speakers with spit, polish and a wink.

‘Just Like That’ channels Joe Meek via a fuzzy transistor radio, while ‘Until The Dance Is Over’ swaps balladry for urgency. It races along with a breathless tempo and a sense of last-chance romance. Rusty, still the band’s melodic compass, delivers each line like he’s pleading for one final spin across the floor before the lights come up.

They’re never afraid of pastiche, but it’s done with such warmth and wit that you forgive the winks. ‘My Boy Elvis’, originally recorded by Janis Martin, is all bubblegum bop and backstage adoration, while ‘Two Faces Of Love’ trades smoky lounge for cinematic chase. Tremolo-soaked guitars and pulsing rhythms bring to mind a lost mod-era soundtrack, more getaway scene than midnight slow dance.

There’s a sprightly cover of ‘If You’ve Gotta Pick A Baby’, a lesser-known Glenda Collins gem, reimagined here with a cheeky Merseybeat grin. ‘Hypocrite’ leans into pure Rockabilly swagger, all slap bass, snappy snare, and a vocal delivery that spits with controlled menace. It wouldn’t sound out of place crackling from a jukebox in a roadside diner just before a barroom brawl.

Elsewhere, ‘Take Control’ serves up stomping floor-filler energy, full of claps and call-backs. ‘Please Yourself’ brings some tongue-in-cheek Glam swagger, suggesting the band have been rifling through their Slade and Sweet singles when no one was looking.

By the time they arrive at ‘Oh! Darling’, a faithful and torch-lit take on The Beatles’ original, you can feel the whole record beginning to exhale. Then, just when you think they’ve softened, they end with ‘Only Rock ’N’ Roll Will See Us Through’. This is a raucous and defiant closer, part manifesto and part musical Last Will and Testament. It has the feel of a campfire chant after the last night at the end of the pier.

The production is brighter this time round, with more Sun Studio shimmer than garage murk. Yet the rough edges are wisely left intact.

‘A Triumphant Return’ is exactly that. It’s a raucous, reverent and rollicking ride through the golden age of Pop, served with enough charm and craft to make even the most jaded modernist crack a smile.

Ivan De Mello