Headphone Home is the 5th album of the Germany/Nuremberg-based Band When Skipjack Tripped.
There is a pattern running through the work of this far from mainstream situated band that can’t and won’t deny their faible for Alt. Country and Americana.

The cover meets the eye with crucifix-like guitarnecks that seem to mark the death of a love. Skyscrapers (in the shape of amplifiers) are overwhelmed by a dark cloud of speakers that rain down microphones. “A black cloud lingers obstinatly over my head” is a subject picked up from the 1992 “wailing tunes” on wailing tuna (september gurls records).
So, what has changed since?

Well, the black cloud is now accompanied by a commitment to jam sessions, the will to communicate and to worship interaction. That is what’s being cherished here and left for what it is and was. A sworn in round of friends have obviously had a good time working while playing. Along with all the latenight sessions, rock-parties and statements one can also find short and structured pieces on Headphone Home. Songwriter Zattl even managed to write songs under three minutes, which is considered to be rather honorable in “guitar-rock”.

The players are, Frank Mollena (Missouri), Alexander Sticht (Throw that Beat!), Marcus Köhler (B'Shops), Diana Franz (The Shed), Lotsi (Throw that Beat!), Enno Palucca (Die Goldenen Zitronen), Michael Kargel (Smokestack Lightning), und as always Peter Hilpert, Jay Montone & Zattl.

This album really holds deeply moving songs from byrds-like guitar-pop (the formal virtually brilliant „maybe in a 100 years (Skipjack’s „some velvet morning“) through heavy-not to mention southern rock-groove rockers („caroline street“, or the instrumental „the stooges gold“), to Alt. Country hymns like „ the e-minor circle“, or the almost painfully longing „whenever you might need to rest“.
What makes „Headphone Home“ a truely unique album is the perfectly balanced running-order.
It never seems to get boring or dull at any moment. No better reason to put on headphone(s)
(at) home, sit back and enjoy.