Miniature Tigers - Tell It To The Volcano Review

Since a lot of our long-held and cherished myths seem to be waning, is it any wonder that many of us are just rolling along to the beat of our own ideas? To see your life as epic (and lucrative) is an old idea, but it has produced some of the most fascinating art. Arizona duo Miniature Tigers are no mere navel-gazers, though. Tell It to the Volcano is epic and unselfconsciously personal because it plays with the myths we create around our experiences and relationships. These songs say that, yes, those things do matter that much, but don’t kid yourself -- everyone else has them too.

That generous, blunt spirit is delivered with some sugar, though. These songs are tasty power pop with a dash of the indie, with crunchy, punchy guitars, keys and jittery but brave vocals. The best tracks, like “The Wolf” or “Tchaikovsky & Solitude,” blend metaphor with gritty observations on love chased, gained, brooded on and abandoned. Slower numbers, like the opener, “Cannibal Queen,” lie in wait for the listener to find rich harmonies and odd phrasing.

Miniature Tigers prefer to show us ourselves through the ages, historical figures and through various species, as if to imply that anyone or anything will relate to the tales of woe and awe. Tell It to the Volcano is a smart little gem, as is the band. It's hard to find any better example of craft and balls than this record....full text After posting a bit about Miniature Tigers a couple weeks ago, I decided I needed to hear their debut album, Tell It To The Volcano, as soon as possible. The record was released last year digitally and will be getting a proper physical release soon, but I wanted to write this review while the excitement of hearing the songs was still fresh in my mind. "Volcano" is a light-hearted, fun album full of pop hooks and clever lyrics that is especially refreshing in the midst of so many self-serious indie bands out there today.

Starting things off is the first single, "Cannibal Queen," an extra-catchy album highlight about singer Charlie Brand's attempt to find love with a good girl. The band also shine especially bright on the bitter, yet humorous title track which presents an interesting (and primitive) look into getting over that previously special someone. Brand has a quirky way of describing what could otherwise be very familiar and normal situations, like experiencing a change of heart, "I'm no longer on a quest to get girls undressed" or post-break-up depression, "I listen to Tchaikovsky and cry, pour myself a glass of red wine." Yet, even has he slings clever phrases and odd metaphors, he manages to seem relatively sincere about the subject matter....full text Certain records have a magnetism that keeps the listener coming back time and time again. Oftentimes, those records aren’t exactly the most earth-shattering listen either.

Tell It To The Volcano, the debut album from alt-rockers Miniature Tigers is one of those records. It’s a pleasant enough listen, and that’s perfectly okay.

The Phoenix based group has been buzzing since last spring, thanks to the dual releases of their “Black Magic/White Magic” EP’s. They’ve earned a couple splashy blog write-ups and have even won a fan in former Phantom Planet guitarist, Darren Robinson, who’s actually touring as a member of the band.

That’s not too surprising though, as Volcano is essentially an amalgamation of the safe and sunny pop sounds that have permeated prime time teen soaps and kitschy high school rom-coms as of late, much like Phantom Planet’s “California” did for “The O.C.” a half decade ago.

Jangly guitars, sparse piano and synthesizer find a home on this mostly inoffensive collection. Right from the get go, there’s some great moments of note. ...full text