At the beginning of the year I posted about Clear Tigers, a solid Brooklyn-based band that in my mind falls outside the mold, save, maybe, the Alec Ounsworth-like vocals. But the use of the synthesizer, the main source of melody on many of the tracks, is what has me coming back like pop stars to the crazy. I mean, the Philip Glass effect at the beginning of “Deathray” is calming enough that could fit the mood of a DeBeers commercial (certainly better than Cat Power did). I think Glass is actually a far better comparison than any indie act one might imagine… I would label the music ‘classical,’ in the sparing use of drums for songs like “Igloo.” I’ve always felt like the use of drums within the composition of classical music is what really separates it from contemporary music. Every genre, from jazz to rock to pop uses a constant drum beat to anchor the song, whereas in classical music drums are used sporadically for emphasis rather than layered in with the other instruments. It follows then, that the only influence they list on their myspace page is avante-garde minimalist composer, La Monte Young. And despite the focus on composition, the lyrics are actually quite witty… from the hungry animals of “Igloo” to the Halloween narrative of “Spook House.” I’m especially partial to the “Yeah yeah yeah yeah” chant of “Deathray.”
And yes, it’s official: 4 out of 5 new bands that I like have animals in the name. So the next band that comes along that is ‘hippopotamus’ something has my full support.
: Clear Tigers – Igloo :
: Clear Tigers – Deathray :
