I’m torn. Does “Excuses Excuses” by The Trampoline Delay give me 80s goth vibes or does it give 90s alt rock energy? Not that it can’t carry echoes of both simultaneously. It can and it does. It does so with such ease and satisfaction that I’m kind of mad that The Trampoline Delay only gave me almost four minutes of greatness.
The Trampoline Delay is the brainchild of Pete Marino and this genius is blending the mood of Bauhaus with 90s rock and masterfully creating melodies that sweep one away from the chaos of everyday life into a moment of calm.
More specifically, three minutes and fifty-three seconds for “Excuses Excuses”.
On the song, Pete says,
“Lyrically, ‘Excuses Excuses’ is about letting your shyness or social anxiety take over. That battle you have with your inner voice that makes excuses as to why you shouldn’t get out there and live your life.”
Joining Pete on his journey is Gerard Ross, Williew Villarverde, and John MacIntosh and with one album under their belt, In Your Head (2022), the foursome are gearing up the sophomore follow up this year.
Pete further expands on the song,
“Ironically, I came up with the verse first, which had the line “But excuses always keep me from my life”, after being invited out by a friend to see a band they worked with called Excuses Excuses. Like I sometimes do, my mind came up with an excuse as to why I shouldn’t go out that night… and I sort of regretted it within hours. Instead of just going to bed, I went into my home studio, wrote the verse, and basically wrote and recorded the rest of the song in around 3 hours. This is pretty typical for me, as I often write and record, coming up with the parts on the fly, and then forgetting them when it comes time to play them, because they were one and done.”
There are two shining stars that battle for attention, or at least my attention, in “Excuses Excuses” and that’s the bassline that is just under the current, lulling one into a sense of calm and safety and Pete’s vocals. There’s a beautiful tone that takes me back to the greats of goth like Pete Murphy and Daniel Ash and to the 90s like vocalist Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket fame and Matthew Sweet. Pete blends these styles into a style that is uniquely his yet familiar and comforting.
From its mesmerising melodies to its reflective lyrics and Pete Marino’s emotive vocals, “Excuses Excuses” is an exploration of choices, missed opportunities, and regrets.
