Photo Courtesy of Twin Tigers
When a friend of mine told me about the band Twin Tigers and recommended I check them out, I was reminded of the awkwardness surrounding the average blind date. I´d never heard of the Athens, Georgia band and was nervous that after I listened to them my friend would ask me the usual questions one might after having introduced you to a certain someone they hope you’ll pursue. What if my friend loves this band and I’m simply unimpressed? I fretted. Would my friend feel differently toward me? Would I feel awkward around my friend after? I deliberated. I wondered if I should make up an excuse about hair washing, a death in the family, or a sick pet, but despite the uncertainties, I manned up and gave Gray Waves, Twin Tigers’ first full length album, a listen, and am pleased to report that my first impression of their music wasn’t bad.
Photo Courtesy of Twin Tigers
When I listen to an album for the first time, I like to hear it all at once, so this new musical acquaintance and I officially met in the park to go running. Our first encounter came in the form of the song ¨Passive Idol,¨ which starts out a little hesitantly, which–if you forgive the extended metaphor–seemed right for the circumstance. The track made me think of those anxious seconds spent trying to determine who it is you’re supposed to be meeting out of a crowd of unfamiliar faces: you arrive at the agreed upon spot and glance around, glance around again, and when your eyes connect with those of the same stranger more than once, you know you’ve got it right. You walk up, introduce yourselves, and soon, things pick up with a distortion laden, “this is who I am” guitar riff. If you’re lucky, things progress naturally from there. If you’re not, well… you order a martini or five and pray for the night to go quickly. After “Passive Idol,” the rest of Twin Tigers’ album skipped along at a reasonable rate, happily precluding the necessity of a round of drinks–not exactly the best accompaniment to an afternoon run in Madrid’s Parque del Buen Retiro, anyway.
Passive Idol [audio:http://www.urb.com/files/2010/03/01-Passive-Idol.mp3|titles=01 Passive Idol]
Gray Waves [audio:http://www.urb.com/files/2010/03/06-Gray-Waves.mp3|titles=06 Gray Waves]
¨Gray Waves¨ is one of the best tracks off the album, which should be the case if you’re going to make the song the album’s namesake. It slowly, almost hypnotically, entices you with a melodic phrase accompanied by a series of subdued yet forceful guitar riffs. There is an electric undercurrent in the song that nicely carries it through from start-to-finish. Other stand-out songs are ¨Everyday¨ and ¨Automatic,” which deliver a nice blend of mellow indie rock and flirtatious, casual pop. Both are simple, feel-good tracks with interesting lyrical subjects, which made them two of my favorites from the album. Despite the redemptive qualities of the three aforementioned songs, however, Gray Waves lacks a decisive punch; several songs build up to potential climax of musical awesomeness only to be lost in a muddled mix of vocals and guitar chords that are equally and distractingly distorted.
All in all, the album was good, but it wasn´t great. Having met up with it on more than one occasion, I can conclude that it´s a love that wasn´t meant to be, but could turn into a comfortable friendship. I would definitely introduce the album to several friends, add a few songs to my running playlist, and put it on for background tunes at a party or bonfire, but obsessive, consuming musical love just isn’t in the cards.
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