Fond of Tigers
On their fourth studio album, Uninhabit, band leader Stephen Lyons' understated, textural vocals work their way into two of the tracks ("Wonder What We're Whispering For" and "Everything Moves"), while some of the group's use of out-and-out chaos is more understated and subsumed. But don't mistake this as a mellow, Fond of Tigers album: there are moments in "Heartwarmongering No. 4" that would pair well with some of cinema's most terrifying scenes, the final movement of "Everything Moves" is cathartically apocalyptic, and "Cause B" is certainly one of the most bewildering and intense songs in the Tigers catalogue. The album also explores some darkly pulsing grooves and atomized abstraction along the way. As Herohill (Rest in Peace) has said, with Fond of Tigers "the reward is in the total experience. The moments of serenity and tradition spliced into collages of chaos and urgency are as captivating as they are conflicting and certainly better heard than read."
Sometimes referred as a "super group" due to the various affiliations with other projects (Tanya Tagaq, Dan Mangan, Destroyer, etc.) the band actually predates any of those collaborations, and has stridently maintained the same seven member lineup, despite the various obstacles the last decade has thrown at them. The group often refers to the music as "the beast" ...something outside and beyond the seven humans that serve its strange needs. There is a power in that setting aside of individuality and ego in the service of something larger and far stranger than one's self.
PERSONNEL:
Stephen Lyons - guitar, voice, percussion, electronics
Morgan McDonald - keyboards
JP Carter - trumpet, electronics
Dan Gaucher - drums
Skye Brooks - drums
Shanto Acharia - bass
Jesse Zubot - violin, electronics, mixing
Press
"Vancouver’s Fond of Tigers have resurfaced with an offering that continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in the realm of composition." - BeatRoute
"There is something oddly charming about this disc that I can’t completely describe." - Bruce Lee Gallanter (Downtown Music Gallery/New York)
"...a cornucopia of sonic experimentation... The end result is challenging but quite listenable, and will take a brickbat to any preconceived notions of what "post-rock" can be." - Noisey (Music by Vice)
"There is an ease in the organization of these five sprawling epics, contrasting the dynamic ferociousness of the band members’ performance." - The Georgia Straight
"Fond of Tigers could be placed in the same bucket as a group such as Bent Knee – art rock that straddles a number of styles with ease. Regardless of categorization, this release is highly recommended." - Avant Music News
Album Preview: Noisey (Music By Vice)
Concert Review: Exclaim!
Album Preview: Vancouver Sun
Album Preview: Exclaim!
Album Review: The Georgia Straight
Album Review: Avant Music News