Tamer Animals
[2011; TBD Records]
Listen.
I'd be surprised if this Stillwater, Oklahoma-grown band didn't have the entire Radiohead catalogue whirring on constant rotation over their practice space sound system. "For 12" sounds like it might be an alternate take of Kid A's haunting, "How To Disappear Completely." Not to pigeonhole them or suggest they haven't created a sound entirely their own, but this five-piece crafts dark, haunted tunes with dreamy harmonies and drifting melodies a la Yorke and Co. or Pink Floyd. Tamer Animals takes me to rainy days and twilight-filled rooms. This darkness, though, is balanced with a wash of thin-glassed production that, while bordering on precious, keeps us afloat during the album's heavier moments. The use of strings, sprinkles of layered piano, woodwinds, and electronics is a well-balanced combination of folk and electronic rock. The addictive title track begins with a lone minor key, chambered piano which is joined quickly by a layering of alternating snare, pounded toms and looped keys. It reminds me of something Sigur Ros might record with Thom Yorke on piano and Greenwood working his gloomy, atmospheric magic. This is brooding music for a cloudy day or reflective evening, but it's soothing and somehow comforting. Album closer "Heading East" is like a warm, synth-washed hug. Enjoy.
Tamer Animals by Other Lives
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