Some bands plug away aimlessly for years before coming to the inevitable conclusion that maybe TAFE wasn’t such a bad option after high school. Others cut through the slog of potential wannabes and appear readymade.
Tigertown are a working demonstration of the latter.
Armed with tremendous harmonies and stubble aplenty, they took to Melbourne’s heritage-listed Trades Hall (a venue more commonly associated with union thuggery than live music) and affirmed their status as one of this country’s most promising outfits.
The first point of observation about Tigertown is that, well, they’re a darn spunky looking lot.
Even before she’s had a chance to hit a note, it’s easy to fall head over for their frontwoman . Flanked by her husband on lead (bad luck fellas) as well as three respective siblings, the band would have no issues when it comes to promo shoots.
Though hardly possessing a comprehensive discography, the handful of tracks they’ve penned thus far are top notch. The likes of ‘Lions And Witches’ and ‘Go Now’ float in dreamy pop textures while ‘Morning Has Finally Come’ accentuates the band’s chemistry as well as their remarkable live harmonies.
The qunitet also unleashes a few new tracks, most of which were conceived during a recent recording trip to the Blue Mountains.
The night’s highlight comes courtesy of the lovely frontwoman. With just her voice and a capo-fretted guitar, she proceeds to swoon the room prior to the rest of the band joining in. Though the crowd is relatively sparse, the resounding applause suggests otherwise.
Given their small catalogue, the band departs with no encore, despite the efforts of one Carlton Draught-influenced groupie jumping on stage in an attempt to lure them back. It was a valiant try that alas went unrewarded (we were all with you in spirit, mate – we really were).
The comparisons for Tigertown are, of course, inevitable. Like fellow Sydneysiders Belles Will Ring, their style is anchored by a fondness for acoustic arpeggios and rhythm. There’s the clear influence of Fleetwood Mac and other mid ‘70s AOR outfits as well as a few nods to Beirut whenever a horn or two is dropped.
As demonstrated tonight, it’s in their ability to unite and unleash these influences that makes them so wonderfully accessible and infectious.
