Tiny Amps – Trill & Swagger / 2005 Redder Records / http://www.tinyamps.com / http://www.redderrecords.com / Reviewed 10November 2005

Tiny Amps comes out with a song that is not completely current; tracks like “Dance Like A Crowded Floor” have hints of the mid-nineties alternative rock, albeit a rock that is tempered with the musical maturity that marks current alt-rock. Eminently radio-friendly, the rich sound of Tiny Amps is only bolstered by the inclusion of a synthesizer; however impersonal and inhuman the instrument may be, the fact is that it adds layers that really give the track a heavier emotional content. While there are a great deal of similarities between tracks like “Dance on a Crowded Floor” and “Backbone”, there seems to be more in the way of inclusion of a Kurt Cobain-style of vocals for ”Backbone”, something that is illuminated further by the mixture of Weezer’s simplicity and Interpol’s density on the track.

The dead-pan vocals of tracks like “Salt in the Sand” and “Amway” really give Tiny Amps a distinct sound, but really allow listeners to dissect lyrics that are embarrassing at times. The catchiness of the music captured on these tracks, especially in the case of “Amway”’s controlled Spartanism, really will endear listeners to the band much more than any negative factor could draw individuals away. Tiny Amps really make a further step in their evolutionary history with the inclusion of a multiple set of vocals during “Slip & Slide”; this track really gives the band a fullness that works well with the Soundgarden-ish guitar lines that are present. “Flowers of the Friendly Ghost” really shift the dynamic of Tiny Amps away from being a band largely led by its vocals; the emotive arrangements of the track are not surpassed in terms of being affective or impressive.

However, the height of this disc may not come until “Dinner”, a track in which the typical vocal-heavy orientation of tiny Amps comes back, albeit tied to a very compelling arrangement. “Dinner” has a fury all its own, one that belies the lighter, alternative strains of rock that are really the norm for “Trill & Swagger”. Tiny Amps create a disc that is full from start to end with a brand of radio-friendly indie rock that has not been seen since the days of bands like The Appleseed Cast or even Lewis. “Trill & Swagger” is an album for those individuals that wish either to be transported back to the day of sultry, catchy alternative rock or those who appreciate different-sounding acts.

Top Tracks: Carrots, Dance On A Crowded Floor

Rating:5.7/10

[JMcQ]