Album Review- Tiger High- "Myth Is This"

Memphis based Tiger High (Jake Vest, Toby Vest,Greg Faison and Greg Roberson) create large expansive sounds that not only rock but have the ability to lift you up off the ground until you are levitating in their beautiful over modulated hum. On Myth is This, the distortion (which sounds like it envelops the entire recording including the drums) creates a powerful sense of urgency and nostalgia and pours a patina of longing all over these songs. Let's not be mistaken though, this effect would do nothing if it were not for the well written compositions they are soaked in.

"Why Oh Why" cuts through you like a be bop 60's slow dance tear jerker. The chorus literally begs you to sing along. "Boys at the Bottom" jams with a free wheeling beat and Brit post punk vibe. "Myth is This" with it's paisley pop melodies and thick ambient sound washes over you.  "Losing Out" kicks along with a touch of Southern Blues buried deep inside the fuzz, in fact, the thick rhythms almost sounds like a wall of fiddles.  "Up and Down Again" engages you with a heavy bass and drum bed while the guitars shred. The rock progression is familiar but it still stirs you into a hypnotic dance.

Of all the songs on Myth is This, "Carry My Love" might be it's defining moment. Not only does it wrap you up in a swirl of tom toms and thick guitar sounds and one hell of a catchy guitar riff, the vocal melodies are so thick and uplifting that the song sounds like an anthem of sorts. The fact that the bridge descends into a trashy surf rock party vibe makes it even that much better. The bass and guitar work is cool and playful.
"Vipers" is straight forward hard garage rock with a 60's style organ. The last track, "Always Mine" feels like hard painful memories resurfacing. It ebbs and flows between droning ambiance, soaring guitars and evocative vocals again soaked in that ever present fog of lovely fuzz.

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Adler Bloom