In ‰Û÷98, Royal Trux had emerged from their Virgin contract buyout, proudly bearing the brand of SELL-OUT! tattooed on their forehead by the angry mini-hordes of indie rock. As always, out was in and the only direction was UP.åÊ
The year is now 2000 ‰ÛÓY2K and all that jazz. Innarestin‰۪ times! The next move for Royal Trux started by reconvening their Floridian rhythm section of Dan Brown and Chris Pyle, who‰۪d been a part of the Virgin act. Together with Kenny Nasta (who‰۪d come on later in the Virgin period and then stuck around), these guys formed a boogie-tastic base while Neil ramped up the riffing for a set of songs that explored southern rock mythos lick by lick. On top, Jennifer and Neil furthered the hip-hop-styled dual-vocal approach from ‰Û÷The Radio-Video EP‰۪, with each of them fully loaded with a separate set of lyrics and melody; two trains on the same track with tight-ass, split-second timing.åÊ
‰Û÷Pound for Pound‰۪ plays like the follow-through to the two Virgin Records, but separated by four years and a flurry of other releases, just to keep you guessing. Knowing Royal Trux, this was the beginning of nothing ‰ÛÓ the next album was just as likely to slide into another direction ‰ÛÓ and as it transpired, ‰Û÷Pound for Pound‰۪ was the last go-round for the muse and bliss of Royal Trux, both of which involved being wildly out of step with any movement, group or person that actually seemed to want them around. A far cry from the larval keenings of ‰Û÷Luminous Dolphin‰۪ and ‰Û÷Cut You Loose‰۪ ‰ÛÓ but in that, an invariably perfect bow.