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REVIEWS

Island Tigers

All's Fair & Warfare
by Island Tigers
Genre: Indie

Island Tigers are a two piece band hailing from Massachusetts who play a style of Indie Rock that has been compared to the likes of Radiohead and The White Stripes.

Under the mindful production of front man, Brian Engles, the Island Tigers' debut album, All's Fair & Warfare became much more than a hastily recorded GarageBand project. Although it has that familiar lo-fi feel that so many of us have become accustom to in our home recording endeavors, Island Tigers make it work to their advantage; formerly troublesome quality issues become just one of the many endearing aspects of the debut effort.

Upon first listen, the most notable tracks are, easily, "Bad Friend" and, closing track, "13th Homesick Waltz (For Shore St.)." "Bad Friend" blends upbeat pop riffs reminiscent of Vampire Weekend with the beautiful seriousness that calls to mind Radiohead, making it the perfect candidate for a single. This track is also an impressive display of creativity out of this modest, two-piece band; the layering and production value sounds incredibly professional while still maintaining that lo-fi appeal. The shining point of the track has to be the emotional build up where the lyrics "you could miss it all for the girl," are given all the power in the world because: who couldn't relate?

"13th Homesick Waltz" is probably the darkest song on the album and, ironically, the most infectious. This song was an instant favorite of mine; it leaves the listener with a good taste in their mouth, wanting to spin the CD again and again.

Overall, the album spans a few different genres, primarily indie-rock and even touching on straight up rock and roll and does so while maintaining an impressive modesty. With all the raw emotion packed into this album there's no more room left for unnecessary flashiness or cheesy solos, which simply adds to its appeal.

There are few misses on the record with the only real shortcoming (in my mind) being "OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR." This track feels like a watered down continuation of the previous track, "The Chandelier," and sounds like someone covering a White Stripes song (I was never a big fan) with inevitably grating spoken-style vocals.

However, these minor setbacks are quickly redeemed by Engels' normally rounded voice and the tongue-in-cheek wittiness of his lyrics which seem to shine the most in the track "Keep In Touch" where he sings "In my mind you were kept safe from yourself… In my mind I will keep you the way I know you deserve to be." The blunt spite characterizes a dark time that most people have to go through at some point in their life, making the lyrics instantly relatable.

The best part about this album is its replay value; the songs get better every time I listen to them. In all honesty, I liked about half the songs on the first listen but believe me: they grow on you; spin it again.

The unique song structure of Island Tigers is bound to have something for everyone; heavy, driving leads, light chords, infectious riffs, and an undeniable wit all kept cleverly in time by drummer, Matt Liles. Did I mention the infectious riffs?

-Jordan Serrano

Bandstand Magazine

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Tracklist:

1. What's the Use?

2. The Chandelier

3. OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE LARGER THAN THEY APPEAR

4. Bad Friend

5. The Bogs

6. f I Can't Forget

7. The Right Words

8. Keep in Touch

9. Sourtooth

10.13th Homesick Waltz (For Shore St.)

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