REVIEW: Tigers Jaw – ‘Charmer’

May 29th, 2014

Brenton Harris

Artist: Tigers Jaw
Album: Charmer
Label: Run For Cover Records

Scranton, Pennsylvania’s Tigers Jaw are a rare breed of band. Masters of introspective lyricism, this much-vaunted quintet possess a unique ability to create music that is both hauntingly beautiful and unashamedly heartfelt, yet still maintains a rollicking energy rooted deep in its punk rock soul. The band’s firm grasp of this duality is displayed to devastating effect on their latest studio album Charmer. The fourth full-length offering from the band, Charmer finds Tigers Jaw at their emotive best, utilizing the full power of their impressive songwriting chops to deliver 12 of the most moving and fully realized songs you’ll be fortunate enough to have grace your ears this year.

Opening with the boisterous “Cool,” Charmer gets off to a cracking start with the band’s trademark guitar tones, endearingly self-aware lyrics and melodic sensibilities all present, providing the perfect backdrop for the dual vocal attack of vocalist/guitarist Adam McIlwee and keyboardist Brianna Collins to welcome us all back into the world of Tigers Jaw. The bouncy “Frame You” is next with guitarist Ben Walsh taking over principal vocal duties on a track that showcases the band’s ever-developing sound, with some rather inventive use of keys from Collins adding an additional layer of sonic depth to the mix and providing the first of many moments where the band’s pop nous comes to the fore. That pop nous is firmly on display on the third track and latest official single released off of the album, “Hum.” A slow burning number that features some celestial vocals from Collins interspersed with the more downcast, brooding pipes of Walsh, “Hum” is home to some gorgeous imagery (“I’m always talking in circles / I always think ‘til I can’t sleep / You are the leaves at my feet / You are the hum of electric heat”) that adds to the overall warmth and emotional sentiment of the song. One of the album’s stand out tracks, “Hum” seems tailor-made for those long drives home where the rain is pouring down outside and you crank the heater and immerse yourself in the music as a means to escape the bleak reality of the weather outside.

“Hum” is followed by the dynamic trio of “Charmer,” “Nervous Kids” and “I Enjoy Your Apathy” — three songs that showcase just how far Tigers Jaw have come as songwriters, with each track utilizing the band’s multiple vocal attack to deliver some truly memorable moments, each encased within some truly inspired use of instrumentation. “Nervous Kids” in particular illustrates the band’s firm grip on structure with a big chunky guitar riff teaming with a driving beat to create a thumping backdrop that sets the table perfectly for Walsh to deliver some of the album’s best vocals. A near perfect mid-tempo emo song that brings to mind the earlier works of Jimmy Eat World, “Nervous Kids” is an accomplished song that packages a remarkable amount of emotional intensity within its rather restrained 2:55 running time. “I Enjoy Your Apathy” is a brooding number that incorporates elements of each of the first five songs to create a forlorn atmosphere that sounds just like what apathy feels like before exploding to life with some truly gorgeous harmonies that rekindle a sense of hope. An awesome track, “I Enjoy Your Apathy” proves itself to be an ideal choice to close out the first half of the record.

“Slow Divide” gets the second half of the album off to a superb start and may well be Charmer’s best song. Another slower number, “Slow Divide” conjures a sense of beautiful melancholy as restrained instrumentation provides the time and space for a rather evocative vocal performance from Walsh and Collins whose voices meld together seamlessly as they deliver some remarkably poignant lines that suggest a self-awareness (“I don’t want to be known for a lack of control / I don’t want to be the last to know / I’ve come to find we are consumed by what we try to hide”) that belies their relatively tender years. The killer one-two punch of “Slow Come On” and “Teen Rocket” are next with the former combining a pounding performance from drummer Pat Brier with bassist Dennis Mishko’s rolling bass line and some deliberately muddled guitars to create an ominous soundscape over which Walsh delivers vocals that are eerily reminiscent of Morrissey.

“Teen Rocket” is a gem of a song that has quickly become a personal favorite. Another Walsh/Collins duet, the song opens with a deceptively simple instrumental passage providing the perfect backdrop for Walsh and Collins to deliver some rather somber lyrical reflections via some rather optimistic sounding melodies. This juxtaposition creates a feeling of disconnection that perfectly matches the lyrical narrative. (“You’re always looking at the floor / when I’m looking in your eyes / distance is measured by the mind”). Featuring a bridge that calls to mind the works of latter-day Brand New and a chorus that is as catchy as it is emotionally confronting, “Teen Rocket” is the Tigers Jaw song you never knew that you wanted them to write and now that it is written it will not be forgotten.

The triumvirate of “Soft Spoken,” “Distress Signal” and “What Would You Do” bring the album to a close, with each track incorporating elements featured throughout the record. “Soft Spoken” is somber and resonant much like “Slow Divide,” while “Distress Signal” is a superbly produced re-recording of an older Tigers Jaw favorite, which while enjoyable adds nothing new to the picture. “What Would You Do” is the album’s longest song clocking in at 5:51 and despite containing some memorable lyrics and a solid dual vocal performance it arguably outstays its welcome by about a minute and a half, resulting in the album meandering to a halt instead of sprinting to the end in triumph like Super Mario at the end of a level. “Distress Signal” may actually have worked better as the closer here, however it has to be said that it is a minor misstep in sequencing among a stellar collection of songs and is not likely to cause fans or the band too much consternation.

There was a lot of fear and anxiety among the Tigers Jaw fanbase about what the future might hold for the band after the departures of McIlwee, Mishko and Brier. However, if the contributions of Collins and Walsh on Charmer are anything to go by, fans need not worry about the direction of the band going forward. The Tigers Jaw name is in safe hands. For their parts, McIlwee, Mishko and Brier have delivered some of the best performances of their careers on Charmer and have ensured that they have ended their association with the band in a fitting manner, and on their terms, which is something not many musicians can say.

Subdued yet uplifting, beautiful yet tragic and confrontational yet comforting, Charmer is a masterpiece that evokes genuine emotional reactions in the listener. Perfectly produced by Will Yip, Charmer is the evolution of Tigers Jaw reaching the apex predator stage and it is a magnificent thing to witness. Buy this record.

SCORE: 9.5/10
Review written by Brenton Harris — follow him on Twitter

The physical edition of Charmer is released on June 3 via Run For Cover Records, however due to the album leaking early Run For Cover Records have made a digital download of the album available for $5 via http://runforcoverrecords.bandcamp.com/album/charmer now.