Seems Unfair

Last updated
Seems Unfair
Trust Fund Seems Unfair cover small.jpg
Studio album by
Released30 October 2015
RecordedMarch 2015
StudioMJ's Suburban Home studio, Leeds
Length29:36
Label Turnstile
Trust Fund chronology
No One's Coming for Us
(2015)
Seems Unfair
(2015)
We Have Always Lived in the Harolds
(2016)

Seems Unfair is the second studio album by English band Trust Fund, released in October 2015 on Turnstile Records.

Contents

Background and release

In 2014 Trust Fund signed to Bristolian record label Turnstile Records, [1] and the band released their debut studio album No One's Coming For Us in February 2015. [2] Before their debut had been released, Jones had started writing the songs for Seems Unfair. [3] He was concurrently writing a PhD on the DIY scene in the UK. [3]

Seems Unfair was recorded in Leeds in March 2015 [4] and was released by Turnstile on 30 October that same year. [3] Trust Fund also published the album for download on their Bandcamp page under a creative commons license. [4]

Themes

Jones told DIY that "There's nothing in your face about the politics of this record, but the idea of having individuality and even free will next to the stronghold of capitalism is there in the background...No-one's lives are that explicitly political, but you sort of feel the tensions in quite an emotional and human way. I'm trying to write about that." [1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 7.2/10 [5]
Metacritic 77/100 [6]
Review scores
SourceRating
DIY Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Drowned in Sound 8/10 [2]
The Line of Best Fit 8.5/10 [7]
Pitchfork 6.8/10 [8]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [10]
The Skinny Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]

On review aggregator Metacritic the album holds a score of 77/100, based on 6 reviews, indicating a "generally favorable" reception. [6] Grace Birnstengel of Stereogum called the album "perfectly nostalgic and under-produced". [12] Drowned in Sound rated the album 8/10 and called Trust Fund "a band that know exactly where they want to go, and more importantly, how to get there." [2]

Several reviewers compared Seems Unfair favourably to Trust Fund's debut album No One's Coming For Us, which was also released in 2015. Nick Roseblade of Drowned in Sound wrote that "Seems Unfair not only trumps No One's Coming for Us lyrically, but musically too," [2] and DIY called the album "a rather more distinctive step forward." [3] Dave Beech of the Line of Best Fit said that "the band's songwriting has come on leaps and bounds in the eight months between releases" and that "Seems Unfair manages [to] exceed its predecessor in every way whilst never shedding any of the DIY charm that made their debut so endearing to begin with." [7] Pitchfork attributed the change in sound partly to the production work of MJ from Hookworms. [8]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Michal's Plan"1:31
2."Football"2:56
3."4th August"3:10
4."Mother's Day"2:00
5."Seems Unfair"3:56
6."Dreams"2:11
7."Dreamers"3:10
8."Scared II"3:48
9."Big Asda"2:32
10."Can You Believe"4:23
Total length:29:36

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shellac (band)</span> American rock band

Shellac was an American noise rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1992 by Steve Albini, Bob Weston and Todd Trainer. Their lineup remained consistent until Albini's death in May 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant Drag</span> American indie rock band

Giant Drag is an American indie rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2003 by singer and guitarist Annie Hardy and drummer and keyboardist Micah Calabrese. After releasing their debut EP, Lemona in 2004, the band released their debut studio album, Hearts and Unicorns (2005) through Kickball Records, a subsidiary of Interscope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Campesinos!</span> Welsh indie pop band

Los Campesinos! are a seven-piece indie pop band from Cardiff, Wales, formed in early 2006 at Cardiff University. The band has seen several lineup changes– lead vocalist Gareth David Paisey and guitarists Neil Turner and Tom Bromley are the only remaining original members, now joined by guitarist Rob Taylor, keyboardist Kim Paisey, bassist Matt Fidler and drummer Jason Adelinia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gun (song)</span> 2013 single by CHVRCHES

"Gun" is a song by Scottish synth-pop band Chvrches from their 2013 debut album The Bones of What You Believe. It was released as the band's third official single on 15 June 2013 via Virgin and Goodbye Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marika Hackman</span> British singer-songwriter

Marika Louise Hackman is an English vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joanna Gruesome</span> Welsh band

Joanna Gruesome were a five-piece noise pop band from Cardiff, Wales. The name of the group is a reference to musician Joanna Newsom. They released two albums and a number of singles, were known for their energetic live shows, as well as their forthright feminist and anti-homophobic views.

The emo revival, or fourth wave emo, was an underground emo movement which began in the late 2000s and flourished until the mid-to-late 2010s. The movement began towards the end of the 2000s third-wave emo, with Pennsylvania-based groups such as Tigers Jaw, Algernon Cadwallader and Snowing eschewing that era's mainstream sensibilities in favor of influence from 1990s Midwest emo. Acts like Touché Amoré, La Dispute and Defeater drew from 1990s emo and especially its heavier counterparts, such as screamo and post-hardcore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martha (band)</span> English rock band

Martha are a rock band from Pity Me, a village in County Durham in the North East of England. After singles on their own Discount Horse label and Odd Box Records, their debut album Courting Strong, was released on Fortuna Pop! and Salinas Records in 2014. As of 2022 they have released four full-length albums on cult UK and US based independent record labels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex G</span> American musician (born 1993)

Alexander Giannascoli, better known by his stage names Alex G or, formerly, (Sandy) Alex G, is an American musician, producer, and singer-songwriter. He started his career playing in multiple local bands before he decided to pursue his own music career as a soloist. At 18, he began to record his own music and released his first album under the name Sandy in 2010. DIY self-releases on Bandcamp and began building up an audience with his label debut, DSU (2014), released on Orchid Tapes to critical acclaim from various publications. He later signed with Lucky Number, who reissued his earlier releases, Rules and Trick (2012).

<i>Sprained Ankle</i> (album) 2015 studio album by Julien Baker

Sprained Ankle is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Julien Baker. Originally self-released on Bandcamp as an EP, the album was re-released in October 2015 on 6131 Records. The album received critical acclaim and was placed on several lists of the best albums of 2015 and the 2010s as a whole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Reaper</span> American garage punk band from Kentucky

White Reaper is an American garage punk band based in Louisville, Kentucky. The band includes Tony Esposito (guitar/vocals), Ryan Hater, Hunter Thompson, Nick Wilkerson, and Sam Wilkerson. The band has released two EPs and four full-length albums, their first album in 2015 White Reaper Does It Again, and The World's Best American Band in 2017. White Reaper released their third studio album You Deserve Love on October 18, 2019, their major label debut. Their fourth studio album, Asking for a Ride, was released on January 27, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palehound</span> American band

Palehound is an American band fronted by El Kempner who have released four albums, Dry Food (2015), A Place I'll Always Go (2017), Black Friday (2019), and Eye on the Bat (2023); as well as the Bent Nail EP (2013) and a number of 7" singles. Initially a solo project, the band currently features Kempner on vocals/guitar, Zoë Brecher on drums and Larz Brogan on bass. In 2015 the band received the Boston Music Award for new artist of the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desperate Journalist</span> English post-punk band

Desperate Journalist are an English, London-based post-punk band, formed in 2012. They released their debut album, the self-titled Desperate Journalist, in 2015, on Fierce Panda Records. A second album, Grow Up, was released in March 2017. The band's third album, In Search of the Miraculous, was released in February 2019. A fourth album, Maximum Sorrow!, was released on 2 July 2021. On June 10, Desperate Journalist announced their fifth album, No Hero, set for release on September 27, 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Witching Waves (band)</span> DIY indie post-punk band from London

Witching Waves are a DIY indie post-punk band from London, England. Drowned in Sound hailed their debut long-player as one of the best albums of 2014. They have released four full-length albums on independent record labels.

Adult Jazz is an English experimental rock band.

<i>Time & Space</i> 2018 studio album by Turnstile

Time & Space is the second studio album and major label debut by the American punk rock band Turnstile. It was released on February 23, 2018, through Roadrunner – the band's debut on the label.

Trust Fund is a musical project founded and led by Ellis Jones while living in Bristol in the southwest of England. Until 2018, both on recordings and live, the band featured a rotating lineup of musicians. They released four full-length albums, the final of which roughly coincided with the decision to disband. In March 2022, Jones revived the Trust Fund moniker and began releasing new singles under the name.

<i>Visions of Bodies Being Burned</i> 2020 studio album by clipping.

Visions of Bodies Being Burned is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group clipping. It was released on October 23, 2020 through Sub Pop. It received positive reviews from music critics.

<i>Dry Food</i> 2015 studio album by Palehound

Dry Food is the debut album by US band Palehound. It was released on 14 August 2015 on record label Exploding in Sound.

<i>WeirdOs</i> 2024 studio album by O.

WeirdOs is the debut full-length studio album by British band O. It has received positive reviews from critics.

References

  1. 1 2 Liam McNeilly (2015-10-26), "Interview Trust Fund: "The songs are just about my stupid life"", DIY , archived from the original on 2024-02-26, retrieved 2024-07-16
  2. 1 2 3 4 Nick Roseblade (2015-10-30), "Trust Fund - Seems Unfair", Drowned in Sound , archived from the original on 2021-06-21, retrieved 2024-05-19
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Liam McNeilly (2015-10-30), "Trust Fund - Seems Unfair", DIY , archived from the original on 2024-05-19, retrieved 2024-05-19
  4. 1 2 "Seems Unfair Bandcamp Page", trustfund.bandcamp.com, retrieved 2024-07-16
  5. "Trust Fund - Seems Unfair", AnyDecentMusic? , retrieved 2024-05-20
  6. 1 2 "Seems Unfair by Trust Fund", Metacritic , retrieved 2024-05-20
  7. 1 2 Dave Beech (2015-10-30), "Trust Fund make a step up", The Line of Best Fit , archived from the original on 2015-11-02, retrieved 2024-05-19
  8. 1 2 Laura Snapes (2015-11-10), "Seems Unfair - Trust Fund", Pitchfork , archived from the original on 2015-11-12, retrieved 2024-05-19
  9. Jamie Atkins (2015-10-28), "Seems Unfair - Trust Fund", Record Collector , retrieved 2024-05-19
  10. Jon Dolan (2015-10-02), "Seems Unfair", Rolling Stone , archived from the original on 2021-01-23, retrieved 2024-05-19
  11. Katie Hawthorne (2015-10-29), "Trust Fund – Seems Unfair", The Skinny , archived from the original on 2019-07-11, retrieved 2024-05-19
  12. Grace Birnstengel (2015-10-26), "Stream Trust Fund Seems Unfair", Stereogum , archived from the original on 2022-01-28, retrieved 2024-05-19