On first listen, The Republic Tigers are a slightly uptempo ethereal kind of aural sex. “Made Concrete” reminds me of older Beta Band (circa “High Fidelity”) with so much to say that they have to add a few extra kick drums to the overall beat in order for they lyrics to not sound forced. And it’s delicious. The melody in the background swims against the electronic programming of the drums.
“The Contortionists” is reminiscent of the kind of 70’s era ambient-esque that Air produced for the movie “The Virgin Suicides.” Circling piano medleys and the chorusing of voices makes this one a winner as well. Of course, i’m a sucker for some good chill out sounding stuff.
The myspace tracklisting was somewhat cut of, but i’m assuming the next track was called “Buildings and Mountains.” It’s got a folksy driving feel to it with a steady kick from the drums moving it along. The effects on the vocals aren’t overdone, which is nice as a lot of bands of late have relied too heavily on excess electronics. The Republic Tigers meld it nicely so that neither the live instrumentation or the electronics being used take the front or back seat. Both gel together beautifully and without overpowering each other.
“Sinkin Annie Down” was probably the most memorable song for me, primarily because newer bands refuse to take cues from older soul records from the early to late 70’s. There is a chorus round that opens up this song that’s absolutely astounding and beautiful.
This is a band that will take a certain amount of open-mindedness to enjoy. If you like the later Radiohead releases, you’ll definitely be able to enjoy this. Don’t expect outrageous guitar solos or the infusion of punk/funk/dance that seems so prevalent in new bands now. This is one to sip mojitos on the porch to some sunday afternoon.
Out of 5 Spliffs possible, I give this a 7 Spliff rating. It’s just that good (and they’re Kansas City local! BIG UPS!)
The Republic Tigers can be heard on their myspace site at: Myspace.com/therepublictigers. Their new site, TheRepublicTigers.com is in the works now too.
Written by Bucho