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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not quite gold top but goes down lovely all the same, 17 Jun 2007
Once upon a time great pop music wasn't just the province of the mainstreams and charts. Bands like The Chills , Win , The Pursuit Of Happiness The Woodentops released cracking albums of pop music that fizzed with pop zest like a giant sherbet lemon dropped into the Atlantic. Nowadays anything even remotely resembling subversive pop music is assimilated into the mainstream quicker than a Big Brother contestant. The Feeling ,Mika to name two off the top off my shiny head were in the charts almost as soon as their music was available -due to heavy rotation play on various radio stations.
Which brings me to the Tiny Dancers, a five piece from Yorkshire -a County on the cusp of the zeitgeist thanks to The Artic Monkeys, Pigeon Detectives and Kaiser Chiefs - whose insanely catchy single "Hannah We Know " has been receiving heavy rotational play on Radio two. The thing about this band is they sound like they could have come from anywhere .Their music has a palpable sense of fun , and a wilful eccentricity with a gentle English undertone that never resorts to chirpy frippery or becomes weird just for the hell of it.
By the way I'm not complaining or indulging in elitist snobbery by decrying the lack of pop acts outside the mainstream. It's only fair that great music sells and gets heard by as many people as possible though it is strangely exhilarating to have music that feels special to you alone. Plus it helps keep some other mundane rubbish off the airwaves. Anyway here is The Tiny Dancers debut album and happily for the most part it lives up to the promise evinced by that single.
It however, relies overly on sheer power pop brio. Not that there is anything necessarily wrong with that but "Hannah We Know" had given broad hints of sheer pop incandescence . A track like "Baby Love" for instance relies on a classic power pop attack- a sturdy riff and exuberant playing but it sprinkles in odd moments of pop stardust . The bah bah backing harmonies and the hollowed out sounding keyboards. The middle eight banjo is a nice touch too. This dovetailing of poppy fine points with the meat and potatoes is more or less the approach for the album entire . The more effervescent numbers are interspersed with ballads like "Ashes And Diamonds", "Hemsworth Hallway" and "I've Got To Go" which although nicely done with depth and tenderness especially the former, are not as effective. But they do help add variety and complexity to the music.
Further diversity comes via the handclaps and overlapping harmonies of "Bonfire Of The Nights", the slow burn escalation of "Moon Song # 2" and the brooding atmospherics of "Deep Water". Not every song is wholly successful -"Sun Goes Down " has a terrific chorus but the jaunty verses are irritating while opening song "20 To 9" is worse for being just ..well ....dull. Happily with songs like the splendidly tangled rhythmic "I Will Wait For You" and the spangled harmonies of "Shame" "Free School Milk " defiantly has more to recommend than condemn. .
The music is aided greatly by vocalist David Kays, straight up the middle vocal style. His voice is sturdy enough with out being overpowering and he can handle changes of tempo and range capably .John Leckie ,s production is beefy but the nuances and minutiae inherent in the music still percolates through. Overall it's a fine debut album , showcasing that their rapid incorporation into the mainstream is deserved though it remains to be seen if they can achieve the sustained success grey indie rock dullards do on a depressingly regular basis.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
No gimmicks; just great music, 30 Jun 2007
Like most places will tell you, this sounds a lot like 70's music. I agree, but it has a modern twist to it, so dont be afraid if you arent keen on 70's. Go back a couple of months, this band were hardly known, but now, they've played rockness alongside the automatic, manic st preachers, and... Daft Punk. Not bad for a start, eh? I was lucky to get to see tiny dancers at rockness, and they were amazing, so when they released this, I snapped it up. Heres the tracks:
1) 20 to 9 - possibly the weakest song of the album; a bit dull to be honest. Dont skip it, but when you're past it, the album takes off. This is a good song to start live shows though.
2)I will wait for you - Excellent - terrifyingly catchy, you'll listen to this a few times.
3) Baby Love - not bad, not great. its not very catchy, but good in its own right.
4) Shame - a nice song, really. shows the singers skill, and a nice, polished song.
5) Ashes & Diamonds - A slow, pop-rock ballad; really shows the skill they have for writing and playing.
6) Bonfire of the night - when this is live, it is [no word strong enough]. The whole audience are clapping the beat, and the odd person tries to join in the chorus (failing). Even listening to the CD, you'll probably find yourself clapping along!
7) Moonsong 2 - Kinda reminds me of David Bowie; cant be bad! Well written, and one of the many "proper" songs of the album.
8) Hannah, we know - they did right to release this; an excellent mix of catchy music & beat with a fully filled out song that doesnt get boring; perhaps one of the best.
9) Hemsworth Hallway - Another good "proper" song - one of the best written here; one of the most original here as well. Might take you a couple of listens, but you will eventually get hooked. Bands in the near future will probably imitate this sort of thing to death, and you'll know: "Tiny Dancers did that first".
10)Sun goes down - moody, yet catchy. another original song, with a stunning chorus.
11) I've got to go - Again, catchy, but fully developed. Some great singing again, with some great harmony's
12) Deep Water - A REALLY original song; goes quickly from calming, to powerful, then back, and back again. Well written, with well played music, and some electric sounds added make it complete, finishing the album.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Music to make you happy!, 6 Jul 2007
I first saw Tiny Dancers support the Spinto Band in 2006. What instantly struck me was that they looked like no other band I have seen in the last ten or so years I have been going to see and playing in bands. They look fun, they have fun - they even sound fun! And that is so damn refreshing on a music scene that is overly cluttered with whiney indie boy feel my pain bands.
The album is excellent, they have taken their influences from the sixties and seventies, digested them and regurgitated something that sounds sublime. country twinged pop with guitars.
I love them.
It was a brave move I think for Parlophone to whip them up, but it may also be TD's downfall.
We all know the majors are money making corporations. They can't afford to invest in bands that make little return, so don't in general do different. And TD's are very different. Different is difficult to market, and I really hope that this isn't the last we hear of them. I really hope that Parlophone have a long term plan for the band, because they have worked so hard, and are too good to be consigned to the trash heap so early into their career.
Support them, buy a copy for everyone you know - guaranteed they will love the album as much as I do!
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