Tender Trap – '6 Billion People' (Fortuna Pop!) Released 10/07/06

Tender Trap singer Amelia Fletcher is a survivor of NME’s celebrated C86 indie compilations, which featured her group Tallulah Gosh. This is her second album as Tender Trap, a collaboration with Rob Pursey and John Stanley who also worked with her in 90s outfits Heavenly and Marine Research. One listen to the title track here (also the first track on the album) prepares you fully for what these stalwarts have to offer currently. It’s very simple, catchy indie pop crafted entirely from guitar, drums, a smattering of keyboard and Fletcher’s still girlish, mellifluous voice. 

It’s also imbued with a endearing childish spirit given the maturity of the protagonists, Fletcher singing “Six billion people in the world / Three million boys, three million girls / How to find the perfect one for you?” before giving a picture book imagination of what the 6 billion might be up at any one time - shopping at midnight, sitting in a café, or perusing art galleries. 

There are a few moments when the unpretentious recipe produces great results. ‘Talking Backwards’ is pleasant and breezy, the preserved teenage naivety still evidence as Fletcher describes the communication difficulties in "making the first move". The highlights are ‘I Would Die For You’ and ‘Fahrenheit 451’ which both have gorgeous melodies and thus benefit most from Fletchers sweet intonations. Her venerability is laid totally bare on the former which finds her wondering "Do you really need me at all,” the latter wittily uses the metaphor of books burning at 451 degrees as established in the film of the same name to express her frustration with a partner who seems more interested in literary escapism than her. 

While the rest of the album is nice easy listening stuff, it’s unfortunately not that memorable, a little too slight and simplistic. And to these ears, despite the fact Fletcher was an influence on the riot grrrl scene the moments when she aims for a sassier, angrier vocals like 'Applecore' and ‘Ampersand’ don’t quite come of. The members of Tender Trap have been round the block and more than earned their spurs, this is style of  music they helped create after all so they’ve every right to return to it again and again, but that said ‘6 Billion People’ is still only sporadically memorable.