Miniature Tigers

Fortress

(Modern Art)

Record Review by Amber Henson

I have some sort of band self-esteem issue.  Sometimes bands will come out and I’ll instantly feel like I’m simply not cool enough to be a proper fan of theirs.  To name a few that cause this lack of confidence in me: Vampire Weekend, MGMT, Phoenix … you get the idea. The young, hip kids with their smart lyrics and clothes that are awesome on them but in which I would feel retarded.  I’m a nerd at heart, and these are the popular kids at school.  Not the jock kind, but the ones who exude charm.

Minature Tigers feel too cool for me.  This psychedelic pop fun is something that I absolutely enjoy, but something about their music just makes me know that I would get all flustered if we were at a party together.  With lyrics like “Stoned at 3AM and talking to myself in public. I’ve really hit a low, don’t you think so?” and a track titled “Japanese Woman in My Closet” - how can I not envy their cleverness?

Fortress has a lot of different sounds going on: major chords, minor chords, kookie at times, and sometimes beats that make me think of hip-hop (what? Nerds can know hip-hop).  Sometimes the lead singer, Charlie Brand, whispers to his listeners conspiratorially, other times, like on the track “Bullfighter Jacket,” he’s excited, and the energy reminds me of The Spinto Band.  Some of the songs are about girls, some of them are about “Tropical Birds” and are quite metaphorical.  There are nice harmonies and fun synths.

Even if the Miniature Tigers are too cool for me, I was definitely able to enjoy Fortress, and able to pretend, even if only for 37 minutes, that I was swell like them. The kids still use that word, right? Swell?