Australia’s Triple M 104.9 radio posted a response from Aussie band The Tender Trap to comments made by Edge.
In 2010, U2 guitarist, The Edge, publicly referred to The Temper Trap’s ‘Sweet Disposition’ track and said it was very similar to the Irish band’s classic hit, “Where The Streets Have No Name”.
But after performing live in studio for Triple M’s Hot Breakfast program, The Temper Trap’s Lorenzo Sillitto fired a broadside back at U2.
“We thought there was some in-fighting going on because we heard The Edge had not that great a thing to say about us,” said Sillitto.
Decide for yourself. I didn’t notice any similarities to U2 when I heard it on the radio as I was too busy thinking the singer sounded exactly like Jimmy Somerville from Bronski Beat (showing my advanced age here…)
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The first time I heard his song I thought of U2 — its the guitar at the open on a delay… Just sounds very similar to WTSHNN.
I don’t think Edge was taking a stab at them, but just referring to the similarities… its quite obvious and undeniable.
the only thing that might be remotely similar is the picking pattern. but really, it doesn’t sound that much alike
The similarity is the 400-ms guitar delay. Not the chords or the progression. Just the effect.
First time I heard this I thought they had used a sample of streets!
I don’t think he was taking a shot at The Temper Trap at all. You can clearly get a U2 vibe from listening to Sweet Disposition, but they do their own thing. I did the first time I heard it. There’s one section in particular the guitar sounds similar to something Edge would play. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. It’s a feeling which I believe many people get when listening to them. In a U2.com interview recently with Bono and Edge they mention The Temper Trap and made what I thought was a positive remark regarding their experimental sound meshing rock and club-like sounds into their music. Besides, I highly doubt Edge would make a flippant remark regarding an up and coming band. It doesn’t really seem like his style.
Drums are like Arcade Fires – power out
The melody is definetly not the same – but the guitar pattern does sound a lot like WTSHNN. Would not call it a copy – but its probably inspired by U2. I can think of several Coldplay songs that are closer to U2 than this.
Certainly inspired. Musically they’re dissimilar. But the technique is the same – delay, echo, etc.
I don’t think edge was being critical either, and I’m not surprised that he was the band member to notice similarities – because, as others have said, the guitar part is where the familiarity to streets is. Similar rhythmically, stylistically, and with the delay. And, although the entire progression isn’t a match, I sang the chorus to streets pretty successfully over this song’s chorus progression…
So, as a whole, it’s certainly not a copy or an infringement, but there are similarities…
Definitely a U2 inspired sound, but not a copy. Nothing wrong with a little similar sound. They should inspire. Edge would know tho if it was close enough to something he originally wrote and then has every right to comment on it – it is his signature sound.
I’m surprised no one commented on the bass. It’s “Adam”.
I’ve noticed that too, but never thought of it as a bad thing. It’s really just the delay. I’m sure it wasn’t an intentional rip-off.
The only reason I discoverd Temper Trap (and have grown to like them) is because Edge had such nice thinngs to say about them in a few different interviews (when asked what he was listening to). I doubt VERY much he has any negative feelings about them, on the contrary I think he is a fan of their music. The delay, picking pattern and progression are all simillar to Streets but a 1-4 progression is the most common one on earth and U2 didn’t invent it. Cold Play sounds more like U2 than Temper Trap.
That’s because Coldplay puts photos up of U2 in their studio when they record their records. Coldplay have always ripped U2 off musically and then talked trash about U2 after the fact. Can’t stand Coldplay any longer because of it.
Quite liked that. I haven’t heard from them before. It does have U2esque moments. Not sure Edge was complaining and I don’t really get the response from Mr Sillitto.