Cockamamie, Jennifer Trynin's debut for Warner Bros. is a pop record with offbeat guitar driven songs that are full of hooks and clever lyrics. It also could be Trynin's sometimes deadpan delivery of them that is clever. There is a kind of "I don't give a shit" indifference in the words when they glide off her tongue.
The catchy "Better Than Nothing" shows Trynin's analytical style. "Maybe we could pool all our money/maybe head out West to the country/It'd be just like here but we'd be there/or we could just stay home." This is Trynin's whimsy and her words are full of levity -- as if taking off West is an option. She treats her impulses as if they're as easy as drawing a breath.
In "Snow", she's going to make an angel if it snows one more day. And if it keeps snowing for one more day she is going to dream of driving away to a far off place. You wonder what makes the first day different from the second? What is the moment of clarity that makes her spontaneously jump in the car? Suddenly you get an idea what she thinks about everything and what makes her tick. She says in "Too Bad You're Such A Loser", "Oh, I can see you running/oh, I can see you passing this by/I can see you running and everything is fine/It's too bad that you are such a loser/it's too bad you are such a lost cause." Throughout the record, her words carry this conviction and you realize she's not afraid to speak her mind.
Originally, the Boston based Trynin released Cockamamie on her own Squint records label, but Warner Bros. re-released it and saved it from possible indie obscurity. She works with bassist Mike County, formally of the Outlets, and drummer Chris Foley, formerly of SSD on this one. And together, with her guitar, the music does a fine job directing her lyrics with a driving melodic sound--sometimes even a dirge.
This "slice of life" record is a rare find. It's enjoyable, witty and addicting.
