Record Label: Tract Records
Genre: Lo-Fi Indie
Band Link: link
Buy on Amazon.com

I haven’t heard Tiger Saw in awhile, but I had the bias that they’re super lame and extraordinarily pretentious. That may still be true – they have an awful lot of members for such a lofi sound. (Not a big fan of giant-sized indie “collaboratives,” and there are over 20 players on this one!)

But they strike the right note on this album. The songs are lush but soft – the style is somewhere between lounge, French pop and lofi. I like their self-label of “bedroom hymns” – their music isn’t exactly romantic, but it’s like a warm, comforting lullaby or an indie take on Silent Night-esque carols (“Under the Samba Moon,” “Catalina,” “Ok,” “Aili”). Their songwriting on these songs are very strong and, at their best, reminds me of a cross between Leonard Cohen and the Velvet Underground.

But it’s not all drowsy stuff – they also wake you up with some restrained but fun tunes, like the slow shuffle “Won’t You Let Me” and muted but booty-shaking soul-dance tune “The Big Bear Song”.

(They do have a couple of minor misses, though, such as the Vegas crooning and 70s funk of “Kick and Snare,” and the occasionally shmaltzy lyrics.)

This album was a nice surprise. I wonder though if the band has matured, or if I have.

Bottom Line: Warm feel-good lo-fi that sometimes shakes your ass.
Notable Tracks: Tigers on Fire, Commerce in the Night, Ok
Overall Rating: