To say something is exuberant guitar-driven pop/rock from the U.K. is almost to impose a straitjacket -- especially after the continuing impact of
Oasis
' fame completely changing expectations for what success should be. On this level,
Spring Tigers
are classically of a piece -- a quintet with hooks, riffs, melodies, and ultimately nothing that's exactly surprising after decades of a form to play around with and constantly redefine and return to. Still, what
bring to their debut American EP is a little something unexpected around the corners here and there that could promise more for the future. Part of it is the smooth, sometimes deeper vocals of
Kris Barratt
, eschewing aggro whine for something that suggests the easy charisma of
Adam Ant
, a comparison readily heard at points on songs like
"Hyboria."
Another element worth noting comes courtesy of keyboardist
Stephen James
-- there's nothing unexpected about his parts per se (
Brian Eno
in early
Roxy Music
this isn't), but there's a cheery exuberance that adds some happy helium throughout, as can be heard on the lovely break on
"Just Suggesting."
Add in a swagger and kick throughout that -- just -- calls to mind some of the more breezy moments of the eternally underrated
Menswear
, and if
are still in the getting started phase, there's more here to suggest future possibilities than many of their sub-
Libertines
compatriots can produce. ~ Ned Raggett