Artist: Tide, The
Label: Self-released
Released: 2010
Rating: 4.5/5
The Tide. Without a doubt a one-of-a-kind act on the Slovenian music scene. They proved with their debut that this is an exceptionally good band, one that builds on an innate, finely tuned ear for music and on strict sonic and stylistic perfectionism. The Tide are indie rockers with a touch of artsy, unmistakable identity. They set that in stone with their debut “Love & Trust” (2006), and the new album “Kings Of The Hill” digs even deeper into that profile and draws an even clearer outline of the musical territory where The Tide keep moving freely, independently and completely unburdened.
For all the polish in their approach, it’s striking how this band keeps the modest stance of an uncut diamond, with the genuine shine of fresh artistic expression. That’s a rare and hugely sought-after quality these days. Rare, the way diamonds are rare. And priceless.
With the new album, The Tide build on their sonic brilliance and stylistic charm. They’re incredibly supple and convincing as they string together short, punchy moves. In them they sound relaxed, genuine and thoroughly organic. They keep their dark, dreamy look. There’s melancholic murmuring all over the place. On every step of the new record. But not for a second does it slip into mawkish wallowing. The Tide stand up to that with their artistic maturity, which is why the new studio effort hits the listener so tangibly and easily spins them around to soak up the energetic vibrations and message of “Kings Of The Hill”.
The lyrics are once again delivered entirely in English. It’s remarkably good, intelligent poetry, served up in English (given The Tide’s Slovenian origins as a starting point). On top of that, the delivery is crowned by sensual vocal interpretation that confirms the artistic maturity of singer Tomaž Štular. He responds with great flexibility to the mental state of the narrator at any given moment, as dictated by the need to bring that state back to life. He pulls this off all the way through, and so he’s convincing. It’s the most important element of The Tide’s music, giving it a clear and solid beat of unmistakably recognizable character, full of tangibility.
The Tide build on a sonic backdrop of musical layering. In the sound they mostly keep natural-sounding elements. The guitars are set up organically. Often there’s a clearly present acoustic component too. The electric guitar creates an effective backdrop. It sounds crunchy yet calm, unpretentious, still warm and organic. In a word, “alive”. Adding fuel to the fire of this compact communication of sonic collages are the keyboard arrangements (the piano gets generous and very tasteful use on the album too). They effectively strengthen the organic nature of the album and, with sophistication and sensitive adaptation, add that juicy touch of cold drama theater that the new The Tide script sketches out. The idea that “less is more” is perfectly clear to a band of The Tide’s caliber, and they put it to good use.
This is an album that’s extremely easy to listen to, yet at the same time so insightful that it’ll lead you through the lifting of many sonic veils and sophisticated minimalist tricks, to the discovery of lots of details that tend to stay slyly hidden on the “first listen”. The guys have delivered an album of top-notch production. It sounds warm, alive, crystal clear. The bass drum is emphasized, and rhythmically The Tide are an extremely strong band. The atmosphere they create can often hypnotically lure in the listener. The album carries a whiff of psychedelic effect (e.g. the closing instrumental part of the superbly atmospherically graded Monday Sleeper), while the main source of the dark undertones is Tomaž’s vocal, which likes to lean on the legacy of vocalists like Jim Morrison (The Doors) and Iggy Pop.
The Tide are a quintet that knows exactly what it wants, and the guys communicate brilliantly with each other when it comes to their expressive wishes and musical perception. The new album boasts a bold, varied and colorful palette of masterfully structured songs, held together by a common thread of exceptional sonic accessibility. “Kings Of The Hill” cements their position of indie rock originality and recognizability. With this approach, The Tide are accessible to the global music community at large. They’re perfectionists. And not just in their musical vocabulary. The guys express their perfectionism by building on a superb and polished outward look too, and all of this is topped off by the excellent design of the new album’s packaging, as well as the black booklet decorated with gold text. This time there’s more than one cover available. Let yourself be surprised when you go looking for your copy of this disc.
These days the prefix “indie” is often overused, and so its basic meaning and purpose get falsely represented. If we’re looking for a band that’s close to the principle of “independence”, we can pick The Tide right off the bat, no beating around the bush. And still. I sincerely hope that the guys’ faith in artistry and their defiance will one day pay off in commercial success too. The side of inner satisfaction is already fulfilled. With “Kings Of The Hill”, The Tide prove how modesty can be a deep and priceless virtue of authenticity. It easily touches even the most hidden and carefully guarded corners of the listener’s soul.
Lineup
Tomaž Štular – vocals
Drejc Pogačnik – keyboards, piano, backing vocals
Janez Šter – guitar, backing vocals
Dejan Osterman – bass guitar, backing vocals
Martin Pogačnik – drums
Production
Dejan Osterman
Tracklist
1. Midnight Shooter
2. Decline
3. Shine
4. Letters From The Other Side
5. Ready To Go
6. Monday Sleeper
7. Snow!
8. The Call
9. Kings Of The Hill
10. Do You Worry Now?
11. We Keep You Alive
