Temper Trap, ‘Trembling Hands’ – Song Review

Australian rockers the Temper Trap are looking forward with ‘Trembling Hands,’ a cut off their self-titled second album, which drops June 5. Whether they like it or not — and we’re guessing they don’t — Temper Trap may forever be known as “that ‘Sweet Disposition’ band,” a reference to the epic crossover smash off their 2009 debut, ‘Conditions.’

Having a massive hit in your catalog is a good problem to have — many bands would kill for that kind of success — but understandably, the Temper Trap hope to move beyond it. “There’s a huge expectation from our label and fans to record another song as big as ‘Sweet Disposition,’” guitarist Lorenzo Sillitto tells NME. “That puts pressure on you to succeed.”

One track that could help accomplish this is ‘Trembling Hands.’ With its twinkling piano, simple guitar flourishes, melancholic lyrics and soaring chorus, ’Hands’ is a mid-tempo rocker that manages to reach grand scales. In fact, despite its Aussie origins, it has a certain Britpop feel to it reminiscent of another band known for epic tunes: Coldplay. It’s a fair comparison, and one that even singer Dougy Mandagi admits.

‘Trembling Hands’ may not make anybody forget ’Sweet Disposition,’ but the tune does show that Temper Trap have evolved. Whether the change brings the same level of success as previous efforts, of course, remains to be seen.

Listen to the Temper Trap’s ‘Trembling Hands’