Tigercub – Nets to Catch the Wind (Loosegroove) (13th Floor Album Review)
UK rock trio Tigercub have released their fourth studio album Nets to Catch the Wind, a cohesive rock offering with determined storytelling at its heart, produced by Grammy-nominated Tom Dalgety.
The band writes about the things that are fleeting in life – love, relationships, joy, inspiration – and the album serves as a rallying cry to continue finding meaning in these, even when they may flit away at any moment. Capturing the light while it shines, to remember that solace when the darkness hits.
The trio’s music is reminiscent of a grungier rock sound straight out of the 90s à la Pearl Jam, Queens of The Stone Age, Soundgarden – with guitar solos and vocals that pay homage to the era while adding a raw unique edge. Which makes sense, since vocalist and guitarist Jamie Hall shared in a recent interview with The Aquarian that the trio was “plucked out of relative obscurity,” by Stone Gossard from Pearl Jam to be part of the reboot of his label Loosegroove Records.
Kicking off the album with Silver Smile, the lyrics and instrumentation work together to bring to mind a blurry image of a woman with a cigarette hanging from her lips. From the first chord and heavy bass drum hit, it launches the album with a building crescendo, boldly proclaiming the trio’s presence and saying: listen up, we have something to say.
The first track ends with a suspended distorted chord, then an almost imperceptible transition that flows into Fall In Fall Out. The second song hits with a confident tone, a shimmery underlay by the band and vocals dripping with raw power over top. There’s a ripping guitar solo leading up to the climax of the song. With their third track Stuck In The Melancholy, the clean guitar and vocals exist in a conversation, playing off each other.
I appreciate the arcs of storytelling that weave through their quieter, more stripped back sections that then contrast with their heavier guitar-led stretches. I’m Breaking Out and A Black Moon experiment with this polarity, the second ending with a heavy grunge guitar sound. Whereas, the sixth track Head Over Heels starts subdued, like someone has plunged off the cliff of heartbreak and is picking themselves up again. That struggle is communicated through not only the lyrics, but also the riffs and beats laid down by the band.
Nightmares uses echoing overlaid tracks to mimic the heights of a particularly fragmented lucid nightmare you want to desperately wake up from but you’re just not able to break through back to reality. The feeling is then smoothed over by the raw, magnetic, stylised vocals and musical textures explored throughout My Paper Heart. The ninth track Golden Sands is a 12-second dripping piano interlude that interrupts the distorted full trio band sound for a moment, serving as a sprinkle of sleep dust carrying through to the next song Magic Sleep.
Cut The Eyes Out Of The Photographs features a spoken-word performance from Neil Fallon, vocalist of rock band Clutch. The song begins with a riff that feels simultaneously familiar and new. Playing into nostalgia, almost dream-like, which is reflected in Neil Fallon’s feature. He has a deep rounded voice that contrasts with Jamie Hall’s raw energetic vocals. It’s an authentic part of the song, a feature that adds to the album rather than detracting from it. The final track is aptly named Sadness, Don’t You Worry, rounding out the album with a hopeful song to remind us to continue to reach for meaning. Sanctuary is there to be grasped onto – but will someone create it for you or do you need to grip onto it yourself? The song simultaneously gives answers and leaves you with questions. The last impression is an echoing guitar fading into the distance.
Comparing Tigercub’s newest album to their first three, the progression of their confidence and storytelling is clear. Throughout the album, you can hear the impact of each band member in crafting their music – Jamie Hall on vocals/guitar, Jimi Wheelwright on bass and James Allix on drums. They each have moments to shine through in the forefront, but also are ever-present in each number, showcasing a well-rounded and united sound. From the looks of the almost completely sold out album merch, the band’s fans are eagerly anticipating this release, and they won’t be disappointed.
Nets to Catch the Wind is a curated album best experienced from start to finish – putting it on shuffle or listening to it in pockets would fragment the meaning. Best heard on full volume, with receptive ears ready for the raw, almost live-feeling performance and passion that pours from the speakers.
E.J. Rzepecky
Nets to Catch the Wind is due out April 10th via Loosegroove Records
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