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Album Review:
The Trophy Fire consists of longtime friends Ben Flanagan and Jamie McGoldrick, which met in a philosophy class at the University of San Francisco. They claim earning an A- in the class but shoot even higher on their debut record A Lifetime In The Middle Of The Ocean to not only get high marks with fans but win new listeners over with their catchy approach to indie rock. I believe their goal is achieved, as the record is full of memorable tracks with Flanagan’s soft vocal delivery style over clear progressive chords and guitar grooves that stick in your head. To get the full band vibe the duo used four different Bay Area drummers along with a creditable list of local favorite guests ..boards, guitar and backing vocals that all perform their tasks to the max by blending in perfectly. What The Trophy Fire accomplish, that is really difficult, on A Lifetime In The Middle Of The Ocean is generating the illusion of being an upbeat bright album with a lot of bounce and angular guitar chords, when in reality it is a more hidden powerful piano-driven emo album with dark lyrics that entrance the listener. This entrancement carries thru the completion of A Lifetime In The Middle Of The Ocean and only leaves the listener reaching for the repeat button in order to hear The Trophy Fire again!

Bands With Similar Fire:
Jimmy Eat World
The Dismemberment Plan
Pinback

-Reviewed by Sam DaMatta

When two guys meet in a philosophy class at the University of San Francisco and go on to form a band, I guess you have to expect lyrics such as "Society can burn into disharmony," from "Jenny Under House Arrest," and "You can't fix someone who's dressed for their death," from "Certain Disaster." But don't worry: There are plenty of hooks in the Trophy Fire's "A Lifetime in the Middle of the Ocean" to keep your attention on a more visceral level. Ben Flanagan and Jamie McGoldrick are the Trophy Fire, with good contributions on the debut album by other members of the Bay Area music scene, including four drummers. There's nice variety among the dozen cuts on the album, from the moody introspection of "Sleepsound" to the more up-tempo energy of "Sundown."

-reviewed by David Weigand (SF. Chronicle)

Bitterness is a hard quality to achieve with recorded sound, because it's so subtle that it often comes across as light sarcasm or down-right rage. For a band to get the balance right, some of the bitterest love songs are like the best candy; they taste tart and sour on your tongue but leave the palate satisfied and hungry for more.

The Trophy Fire make that kind of sugar-coated sour candy in short bursts of guitar rock/pop. I'm not usually won over by this kind of musical soundscape but I really have been digging "Divide" off their new release A Lifetime in the Middle of the Ocean (out now on Talking House Records). What sets them apart are the decent harmonies between Ben Flanagan and Jamie McGoldrick (the dynamic duo behind The Trophy Fire). You can easily imagine the song being played on acoustic guitars and being just as effective and emotional.

reviewed by Quick before it melts

A Lifetime in the Middle of the Ocean is an album you can put on and leave it playing. It sets a dark, melodic mood that doesn't easily go away - nor do you want it to. I've been listening to this album on repeat going through each of the catchy song from wonderful "Jenny Under House Arrest" to the catchy-chorus-filled "Spine." Flanagan's lyrical imagery matched with McGoldrick's almost hypnotic guitars drew me into a small bit of musical bliss, a bliss that didn't end until the album reached its final note.

reviewed by Concrete Circles