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Tiny Boys
Tiny Boys
Afmusic
With their first full length release, Swedish band Tiny Boys manages to please Post-Punk lovers as well as a more mainstream audience. Composed of Camilla Karlsson (Vocals), Jon Gredmark (Guitar), Emma Pavlovic (Bass) and Jon Olofsson (Drums), the band has been chosen band of the month by Static Magazine. The album starts with the killer track “Persian Punk”, a Post-Punk anthem that will make you jump and sing along. After a short slow intro with a twisted guitar, the drums start banging clear and fast along with a strong bass line. Then comes the Middle-East influenced guitar (reminds of tracks such as The Cure’s “Killing an Arab”, Tanit’s “Can an actor bleed?”, Danse Society’s “Arabia”). Camilla’s vocals are sharp, her voice is bass on this song, sometimes going suddenly in high-pitched tones. The chorus and guitar melody are extremely catchy. It reminds of bands like Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, Modern Eon, with an accessible pop feel (reminds me of Blondie). Anyways it sounds great. “Battlefield” begins like a down paced, old school Post-Punk with heavy tribal drums, dramatic guitar and deep bass. Vocals are sensual but threatening. As it goes, this song turns much faster but no less threatening. Very cool stuff indeed. With “Walk out first” the band shows a more uplifting, indie side. Influences from the eighties new wave are still palpable however. “4 AM” is another great track of danceable Post-Punk, thanks to energetic drums, addictive guitar riffs, and Camilla’s vocal scales. First down paced and menacing, “Black Gold” has a deep, heavy atmosphere. Oppressed guitars, tribal drums and omnipresent bass all sound very Post-Punk, but the vocals are much softer here, and the up-tempo chorus has a more indie rock sound. “Focus” is one of my favorites. There is a distinct taste to it, which can remind you of Siouxsie and the Banshees or Black Ice. Guitars are Death Rock, vocals intense and angry, drums hammering! What an amazing track! “Gonna get my gun” could be a perfect western movie soundtrack. It’s a down-tempo, very atmospheric and dark ballad, with strong bass and sick country/folk guitar. You won’t be able to take this little wonder out of your head! It seems playful, but distorted voices in the background provoke instantly darker emotions, not to mention the lyrics. “Sofo Vampire” has a strong rhythmic part, lots of angry guitar, great vocals which remind Siouxsie Sioux and Anne-Marie Hurst, as well as a nineties’ indie rock impression. It rocks! “Steve” is done with a more complex structure. It’s another indie track with great drums, although the guitar sound very much like Post-Punk. The vocals play a great part in this track with constant changes high-pitched/low-pitched, slow/fast, sung/spoken. Great performance. “It’s not my heart” will take you to an introspective journey, full of emotions. The song grows in intensity until the final explosion when vocals and instruments come to climax, a good way to end this album.
With their original blend of styles, between indie and post-punk, and with atmospheres as different as Death Rock and Western ballads, Tiny Boys show their ability to compose and perform great music, avoiding confining to one only style. They have done a very good first album, filled with killer songs. It can be enjoyed by Post-Punk fans, indie lovers and mainstream public alike. So give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.
Guillaume Renard
