Tiger Baby – Noise Around Me

Tiger Baby – Noise Around Me / 2006 Souvenir / 11 Tracks / http://www.tigerbaby.dk / http://www.souvenirrecords.com / Reviewed 28 April 2006

The opening lines of “Girlfriend” is something that would sound perfect on a New Order track and when the vocals (imagine Goldfrapp or Madonna) start up, individuals know that they will be on a trip that is surprisingly not aided by illicit substance. The active synth line during the track keep some speed in the track, and allow Tiger Baby to approach two different audiences of listeners. This same general sound dominates during the much shorter “Parkova”.

The faster tempo of “Parkova” means that individuals will be clamoring for me by the end of the track. Each of the songs would be great on Top of the Pops, but might not be the best for the average high-energy dance clubs. The style of music that Tiger Baby plays is simply not the style that would be played at these clubs, but don’t let this be a black mark on Tiger Baby’s record. Each of the songs on “Noise Around Me” are solid, and really hearken back to the halcyon days of trance music. The mixture of a repetitive backing beat (laid down by the synthesizer) and a catchy set of vocals during “In Your Heart” make this track into the first real “single” for Tiger Baby.

This is a song that will drive its beat deep into listeners’ heads, and while it is not as fast as most dance songs, it holds its own in its ability to get people off their duffs and onto the dance floor. Even when there is an instrumental breakdown in the middle of the track, Tiger Baby keep things interesting and instill this arrangement with enough interesting material to keep individuals close to the band. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this disc is the very Dance Dance Revolution-like beginning to “At Least I’m Honest”. Adding to this innovation is the shift back to eighties dance that Tiger Baby does; the sound of this track will make listeners’ eyes misty, even as the band keeps things as current as possible. This desire to go back to the eighties manifests itself yet again when Tiger Baby do a cover of the Joy Division classic “Love Will Tear Us Apart”. This version is more of a new track than it is a cover; listeners will have to focus in closely to realize that this is a classic track done for the current period. A fun bit of down-tempo dance music.

Top Tracks: Girlfriend, At Least I’m Honest

Rating : 6.3/10

[JMcQ]