Five Speed Intro: Tigers Jaw
Five Speed Intro is where I write about artists I’ve heard of but who’s music I’ve never heard. I may not know anything about them outside of their name so it’s an opportunity to gain an introduction to their music with limited preconceptions. Whatever tidbits of information and gossip I have heard about them I lay out upfront. These articles are based on listening to the top 5 songs they have on Spotify.
Do you have an artist I may have heard of but who’s music I’ve never heard? Let me know in the comments.
What I Know About Tigers Jaw
I don’t know anything about Tigers Jaw. I think they popped up as related artists when I was listening to Ariel Pink. This is pure band-roulette right now, but maybe they’ve got a sixties/synth thing? I have no idea.
Top 5 Tigers Jaw Songs on Spotify At the Time of this Writing
“Plane vs. Tank vs. Submarine”
Oh cool! Acoustic guitar but the vocals are kind of pop-punk/emo. I like it. When the band kicks in the mood is still laid back, but I can almost imagine they could push the energy a bit more and are holding back on purpose. Definitely some emo flavor here. I need that right now because for the past month or so I have just been all up in my feelings like no one’s biz. This song calls it quits at around 2 minutes and the brevity adds to my enjoyment.
“Gypsy”
Heeeeyyyyyyy! I know this song! It’s Fleetwood Mac! Dig. A bold choice though, right? That band is an institution. It’s kind of cool how much heartbreak runs through Fleetwood Mac’s music but how pristine it is. Like, how can you suffer and still come up with airtight, angelic tracks? This version is cool because they definitely take some of the shine off of it. Honestly, I don’t like things that are too polished. I’m into the wrinkles and scabs and cracks and loosening up and letting the air in a bit. The vocals are a bit pitchy, but I’m into that too, for the same aforementioned reason. The phrasing is emo/punk and I believe it and it takes me way back to the mid-nineties.
“June”
This is cool, it’s kind of a medium-up-tempo rocker, with female vocals. The entire track has a nice open sound and the bridge and chorus have some pretty harmonies. A bit dreamy, I could see floating with this song up to a low hanging cloud and waiting for a feeling to return.
“Never Saw It Coming”
Back to acoustic guitar up front. Oh damn, when the vocals come in it hits me: the Get Up Kids. Tigers Jaw is a bit like the Get Up Kids, one of my top favs. I wonder if this song is going to be all acoustic. I really like the vocals. Nope, they go into a rocking part. I remember once being at ABC No Rio like 20 years ago and this dude was screaming so loud that you could see the veins on his neck rise and sweat bead up through the crevices. I kept wondering what he was going through and now, looking back, I wonder what we were going through. Everyone there at the time, everyone was looking for something. Hard. Is it better to keep searching or to tie things up and dust your hands off? Anyway, the vocals on this made me think of that. Not screaming, just, distressed a bit.
“I Saw Water”
Yeah, cool. I dig it. I could lightly mosh or even pogo to this one. They’re pushing the energy. I’m into it. I think the vocals are saying “I woke up feeling embarrassed from falling in my swimming pool…” and somewhere else “Of course I liked you.” Relate.
Overall Impression of Tigers Jaw
Tigers Jaw is good! I’ll definitely explore their music further. It reminds me of simpler times, sitting in my room, tuning into the local college radio station, waiting for a song to come on and grab me so that I could tape it and listen on the bus to school.
Connect with Tigers Jaw
Do you have an artist I may have heard of but who’s music I’ve never heard? Let me know in the comments.
