Spreading the Gospel according
to Soft Tigers
If
you know of Soft Tigers, it is most likely for their two biggest
songs, 'M.A.R.I.A.' and 'Mr Ice Cream'. This is no surprise, because
after all, these two songs are undeniably great. Catchy, energetic
and fun, these two have ‘hit’ written all over them.
You may also have seen them live and discovered a whole new side
to them. Their on stage show is far more chaotic, mixing shambolic
recreations of their recorded material with all sorts of new sounds.
This experimental (and a little apathetic) approach means you
never what you’re going to get.
Well their debut album demonstrates yet another
side to Soft Tigers. It isn’t a collection of hits. In fact
a number of the songs deviate significantly from any sort of ‘song’
structure. Similarly, their rough edges have been smoothed and
their chaos given some direction. These changes are certain to
leave some fans a little disappointed and as a result, it’s
hardly a shock to see this album failing to make waves in the
music community. But as far I’m concerned, it delivers everything
the Soft Tigers promise to deliver, even if it’s not quite
what we expected.
The problem is that on first inspection, Gospel
Ambitions certainly seems to be rather weak. You can’t
help but hold on to the hope for an album full of 'M.A.R.I.A.'s.
But on closer inspection, you’ll discover this album to
be great for plenty of other reasons. It’s softer, more
intimate sound displays a genuine for love creating music filled
with cool sounds and engaging melodies. At first I thought it
to be rather sloppy, but I realise how well they’ve captured
the spirit of music, imperfections and all.
I’m not trying to proclaim that this is some
sort of spectacular album that everyone should love. All I’m
saying is that it appears widely misunderstood, and as far as
I’m concerned, critically undervalued. What impresses me
most is that their rise in popularity has certainly seen no compromise
of integrity. Soft Tigers make music how they like to make it,
not how they think will sell best. They haven’t just found
a winning formula and stuck to it and their shows aren’t
just live recreations. They offer far more variety and as a result,
a far richer musical experience.
Peter Watts
For
more of Peter Watts' music reviews, check out his blog at Open
Your Eyes
