The Go-Go's meet raw garage punk in this deep and definitive debut!
Already tipped as Radio Helsinki’s Musamusa Album of the Month, this debut LP from Finnish trio Troubles has us all on ‘Red Alert‘! Crashing onto the Garage Punk scene with an record that doesn’t waste a second, ‘Red Alert‘ is a feral mix of grit, hooks and raw, emotionally charged vocals.
Out now, the album is a relentless sprint. Most tracks clock in under two minutes, tearing past before you’ve caught your breath. Troubles only let up on the final track – the record’s sole moment to stretch beyond the three-minute mark. Lyrically, ‘Red Alert‘ cuts through the usual love-and-heartbreak tropes and digs into darker territory – life, death and everything in between – with a sharp, unapologetic punk edge.
Troubles are:
Ida-Lotta – guitar, vocals
Laura – bass, vocals
Mikko – drums
Formed in 2023, Troubles are into doing things their own way. The band have openly rejected Spotify, citing its monopoly and investment practices, making ‘Red Alert‘ available everywhere else instead. “We know we could reach more listeners there, but sticking to our values matters more. We want to be part of a change for the better,” Ida-Lotta explains. The band’s ethos runs deep – for Troubles, it’s “DIY or die!” – as they also create their own artwork.
Kicking off opening number ‘Ghouls‘ with a dark & dirty bass riff, our nightmares may turn out to be the real people we know after all:
Second track ‘Promises‘ starts with an extract from the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Commando, ending with Cindy (played by Rae Dawn Chong)’s line “I can’t believe this macho bullshit!” before the guitar roars to life, rocking out in 6th gear. The song “deals with the sexual harassment and violence women face” says Ida-Lotta, her raw vocals echoing the fear we face every day.
‘Cry Days‘ is a slightly slower number about the suffering faced in the aftermath of rape; Ida-Lotta’s very descriptive lyrics capture this with brutal intensity. “There’s something rotten inside of me, It gasps my breath I cannot sleep, Days numb and completely sore, Don’t wanna go out anymore”.
Military drums introduce ‘Swallow Me‘, another raw-voiced lament about the wish to be fully protected and made whole again – a futile hope as once we’re born we’re exposed to the dangers of a cruel world…
Fast and frantic, the emotional chaos of unrequited longing is explored in ‘Haunting‘, the “Pick me instead” line being the crux of this irrationality.
The album title comes from the first line of ‘Gimme Danger‘ – “Red alert! Your lies are showing”. A rip-roaring punk blast, this number is more melodic than its predecessors:
“‘Eve’ is a pretty clear feminist anthem” Ida-Lotta says. A song of female strength and also a warning “I’m the rage of every woman, Yeah, I know their pain”. There’s a piano giving added emphasis to the beat of this song, which draws favourable comparisons with The Go-Go’s of LA rock band fame.
The best song about gaslighting and coercive abuse we’ve heard for a while, ‘Sick‘ doesn’t hold back! “It’s not love, If it makes me wanna get killed” yells Ida-Lotta, while the rest of the band join in screaming “You make me sick!”
Poisonous reminiscence abounds in ‘Honey‘, after the bittersweet damage has been done. The album ends with ‘Full Moon‘, recovery, renewal and hope come from the cleansing power of the moon, before re-emerging renewed and with hope under the new moon. All of the instruments combine to make this a monumental concluding track!
Troubles hit the road this spring and summer, celebrating ‘Red Alert‘s release at Helsinki’s Lepakkomies on May Eve with Rokets and Paha Lucia, before joining Australian outfit STERÖID for shows in Tampere and Helsinki later in May:
Main Photo Credit / All Band Photos: KAROLIINA REDSVEN
- Ghouls
- Promises
- Cry Days
- Swallow Me
- Haunting
- Gimme Danger
- Eve
- Sick
- Honey
- Full Moon
Follow Troubles on Their Socials:
Need more Punk In Your Life?
Soul Asylum, London Tufnell Park Dome, 9th June 2026
It’s crazy to think that, back in the day, Soul Asylum played Brixton Academy off the back of their 1992 breakthrough album ‘Grave Dancers Union’
Live review: Buzzcocks still rocking the boat and making waves!
Marking their 50th anniversary with a Punk cruise on the Dixie Queen, Buzzcocks sailed down the River Thames in London on 5/6/2026, making this one
Live Review: UK punk pioneer Michelle Brigandage’s first concert in the Netherlands in 43 years
On 28 May 2026, London punk legends Brigandage, joined by Dutch punk veterans Rubber Gun, put on a great show in Arnhem, The Netherlands!
<div
Live review: Die Toten Hosen Start Their Summer of Concerts in Prague & Milan
New songs, surprise setlist changes, rare classics and unforgettable moments marked the opening shows of Die Toten Hosen’s 2026 tour in Prague and Milan! Florian
Album review: La Famiglia – ‘Alphabet Mafia’
Punk and hardcore, at their best, have always been outsiders’ music; by and for people who never quite fit in with the rest. Melbourne-based hardcore
Peace Of Mind/Overpower, London Blue Monk, 5th June 2026
Tonight’s bill features four great metallic hardcore bands, so it’s a shame that the turnout could be better. That said, such is the passion on
Usually found jumping around down the front at gigs, I also relish taking photos and videos, singing, speaking with fellow music fans, and asking musicians the questions nobody else does. Writing about my favourite bands and connecting with people who love music too keeps me more-or-less sane! I’ve worked for over 25 years at a video production company, mainly filming live music events, therefore I have an additional backstage perspective on the scene.
Did you know that we are 100% DIY? We run our own game. No one dictates to us, and no one drives what we can or cannot put on our pages – and this is how we plan to continue!
