February 17th, 2012 
Tyler Osborne 
Artist: No Trigger
Album: Tycoon
Genre: Punk/Rock
Label: No Sleep
For this review of No Trigger’s new album to make sense, you need to understand a little more about me than just a faceless music reviewer. My name is Tyler, and I’m turning 20 years old in 8 days from when this was published. Right now I’m taking a break from going to school so that I can work 60 hours a week in order to go back to school. I sit in a cubicle for eight hours a day, then for the next four I troubleshoot computers at a law school filled with students that I would never talk to if I saw them walking down the street. I feel older than I actually am, and I find myself unable to relate to a lot of people my age because of this fact.
That being said, No Trigger’s new album Tycoon completely changes that. Despite its February release date, this album sounds like summers at punk and hardcore shows with your best friends. On my first listen through of this record I could not stop smiling because I was flooded with memories of sweaty nights in Philadelphia venues with my best friend, Keenan, and of working summer camp in my faded Chucks with Frankie. This is the kind of album that despite your age, it reminds you that you are youthful, alive, and that the things you care about really matter. It is this theme that permeates throughout the entire album. For me, this album reminded me that while I support myself and work full time, I’m still very young, and that sometimes the only things that matter are the simple but powerful pleasures that music has to offer.
My first listen through of Tycoon was while I was at my cubicle job and I found it very hard not to drum along with the very tight drumming of Mike Ciprari in “Dried Piss” or to bust through my cubicle wall during the bass and drum break in “Department of the Interior.” It was borderline suffocating listening to the album because it has such a big sound that it begs you to blast it in your car with all the windows down. You can tell that No Trigger really took their time to create a very full sound that packs a punch not only in the lyrics department but also within their musicality. The pace rarely slows down, if ever, and I thank them for that. Sometimes you need a record that just refuses to do anything but pick up the pace. Tycoon is simply a record that never stops. The guitars are fast, at times complex, and the vocals are nothing short of magnificent. The blend of punk and hardcore is absolutely flawless, keeping both the punk and hardcore kid in me satisfied.
Now I can’t speak of their live show because I haven’t seen them, but from the over ferocity of this album I can tell you that a true appreciation of the record will come after seeing songs from it played live. Songs like “Mountaineer” reek of crowd participation, may it be dancing or pile-ons. The song that’s sure to be an absolute barn burner when played live is the final track “Turn in My Throat.” Now I love songs about how much music means to the band just as much as the next guy, but let’s be honest here, it’s a topic that is covered a lot in the punk scene, and rightfully so. Yet when No Trigger sings about it on this last track, you can feel it with every crushing lyric, with every roll on the snare drum, and every bass line, and it feels nothing less than fresh. If I were forced to compare it to another album I’d probably say Tycoon has the same sorts of sounds as Lifetime’s Jersey’s Best Dancers, but more importantly it has the same sort of timelessness. No Trigger just created an album that gets better with every listen, and you start to recognize the little nuisances that come with any well-put together punk record.
I have a few albums that remind me of summer nights, Green Day’s Insomniac, Firework’s Gospel, and Yellowcard’s Ocean Avenue to name a few. While I can’t say for certain until the summer actually comes, No Trigger’s Tycoon may have just broken into a list of albums that I consider classic. I’m going to tell you right now, this is the sleeper hit of the year. People may overlook this album, but honestly this is punk and hardcore gold. Do yourself a favor and go pick up Tycoon off of No Sleep Records, because this is one of the albums of the year.
SCORE: 9/10
Written By: Tyler Osborne (Twitter)
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This review is amazingly helpful, really took the time to understand the band. Big ups to the band too! Deffinately picking up a record when its out!