22. February 2025
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Media Review

Personal Trainer – Still Willing

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Personal Trainer - Still Willing

Personal Trainer - Still Willing
3.8

Rating

 3.8/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Very versatile, but individual sound
  • Songs with a sense of humor

Flyctory.com Cons

  • No really outstanding track

Personal Trainer is something like a band – or is it rather an ever-changing music project lead by a single person? I was definitely happy to run in some Dutch music, when I received promos for releases as of the 2nd August 2024. Here is my review of Still Willing by Personal Trainer.

 

Personal Trainer – About The Artists

Personal Trainer is an indie rock band from Amsterdam in the Netherlands. They are lead by singer Willem Smit, who initially worked with different people on stage. In their recent 2023 tour, for example, Smit worked with six other musicians. In 2022, the project released their debut album, Big Love Blanket.

 

Personal Trainer – Still Willing – Track by Track

The ten song album lasts 39 minutes.

1. Upper Ferntree Gully

The Dutch immediately start with the hammer track of Still Willing. The opener Upper Ferntree Gully lasts almost eight minutes. The first part feels like an intro (using Dutch words), the song takes a stronger development after some two minutes. Nothing describes the song better than the quote from the press kit: I wanted a big intro to the record that you couldn’t ignore and liked the idea of making one big river of a song that kind of meanders through a lot of different atmospheres. That’s a perfect sum-up – and the song is really interesting and entertaining.

2. I Can Be Your Personal Trainer

After this epic listen, the three minute I Can Be Your Personal Trainer feels like a small musical snack. The song comes with an easy, light melody and overall happy vibes. It is somewhere between indie-rock and pop. You and I – We can help each other out is the final statement of the song. Good one, which makes me smile.

3. Cyan

Cyan is one of three songs the band has shared before album release already. The very rhythmic song with xylophone-alike melody lines spreads some summer vibes. Similar to the end of the end of its predecessor, the third song feels a bit too virtuous to me here and there, though.

4. Round

Round is releasing the rock heart of Personal Trainer. This leaves a nice impact to the album. The song comes with a good melody. The vocals here and there feel a bit too grungy, compared to the overall positive vibes of he song itself. Nonetheless, it is a fun listen.

5. New Bad Feeling

New Bad Feeling interrupts the set of three already released songs. Even though the rock heart breaks out here and there, the song is a rather slow, melancholic one. Not a pencil in no box, there’s a new bad feeling. I like it.

6. Intangible

With the last single release on the album, Intangible, Personal Trainer present a cool, very groovy song. This song is majorly driven by the bass and nice percussion arrangements. I really like it.

7. Testing The Alarm

I was just testing the alarm
My only go at practicing
One day I woke up on my own
My only way of getting through to you
And you were building your own house
While I was falling from a tree

This one is a really nice one as well. The piano is taking over major melodic duties. Nonetheless, the song has this nice indie-rock touch as well. The chorus is intensifying this character.

8. Still Willing

I wonder who I used to be
I wonder what we had for drinks in the evening
The boys are drifting off in different directions
But I remain
Making waves
Babe, I’m still willing

The eighth song is a humorous view of growing in age. Some things are just not working out any more as they used to be. Some of the examples are also not suitable for the review, they might impact my Google score. But I enjoyed it.

9. You Better Start Scrubbing

You better start scrubbing or your act will start rotting – this section of the album definitely comes with some lyrics which make you smile. Songs like the ninth one come with a nice touch of carelessness and thus even remind a bit of punk. This is also in line with the very angry chorus. Nice.

10. What Am I Supposed To Say About The People And Their Ways

Still Willing closes with a song which comes with an enormous… title. The song is also rather epic and takes almost five minutes. Some of the time is taken by the intro part. The song has some nice vibes, which guitars and even some funky elements. In the press kit to the album, Smit confesses I really love making worthless trash. I would rate the chucker-out being that bad.

 

Personal Trainer – Still Willing – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify:

 

Personal Trainer – Still Willing – My View

I like the sound of Personal Trainer and their Still Willing album. Nonetheless, the album is definitely not a must-listen. However, it makes me smile – and I highly appreciate that. A nice soundtrack with a very individual sound and a very entertaining character.

Favorite Song: New Bad Feeling

 

Tour Dates (Rock Music)

Here are all my posts containing tour dates related to rock music:

 

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