Area Pirata Records – April 24th, 2020
High energy punk that's both familiar and new.
There's something familiar about the Smalltown Tigers EP Five Things. Maybe it's their obvious love of the late 70s sound. This could have something to do with their acknowledged influence: Joan Jett. Overall, these eight songs just feel like they should be listened to in a garage, so that's what I did. I set up some speakers in my garage, sat down with a beer, and enjoyed myself.
The fuzzy sound of the instruments come across as a direct homage to the band's 70s influences. The high energy playing mixed with the equally enthusiastic vocals is contagious. Before long, even without knowing what's next, I found myself nodding along imagining seeing them live (God I miss shows). It doesn't take long before the ladies, while staying true to their roots, put their own spin on the music. Songs like “Just a Friend” and “I Want it Now” stood out for how well the vocals and music complimented each other. While both of these tracks are solid, “Runaway Gal” was the true stand out. The title name checks a major influence, but there are also hints of something new and individual blended in, which creates a fun and personal variation.
Smalltown Tigers have a lot of the hallmarks of a fun live band: high energy, catchy, easy to get into, and a DIY feel. They sound like a band that would be great to see in a smaller/non-traditional venue with wall-to-wall people, and after the show there would be a sense of being in on a really great secret. Like you couldn't wait to let your friends, who weren't there, know about the show, so that way they could make it to the next one, and then they would be in on the secret too. That's what the EP feels like, a well kept secret that's building up steam via word of mouth, so allow me to spread the word a bit: this was a lot of fun to listen to in my garage on a warm summer night with a beer in hand, but I suspect that this would be something incredible to see live.
Writer and lover of music, horror, and beer.