As I follow my favorite record labels, I give a try to every band that is attached to them. Upon seeing Tooth and Nail (Underoath, Norma Jean, mewithoutYou) helm the band Tigerwine, I gave them a listen and was taken aback with the talent on display. I reached out to the band and they eagerly sent me Nothing is For You ahead of its release this Friday; let’s see what the band has to offer on their sophomore LP!
Nothing is For You kicks off with “Anteroom” and presents prominent guitar tones in its intro. The bass is so high in the mix that you can hear its crunchy lick in the verse. A false ending leads to another crescendo to give the opening track proper closure. Sprawling drums start up “Technicolor Yawn” with a moody riff to follow. The dichotomy of forbearing vocal delivery in the verses with robust singing in the chorus is a joy to experience.
A tonal shift embraces single “Scarecrow” with a profound chorus that will stick like glue in your head. Accentuation with an aggressive vocal delivery to the end makes for another great addition to Nothing is For You. We follow this up with the leading single “Black Water” which gives the bassline precedence once again. Smooth little instrumental cues like a downtoned snare roll and a stark slowdown in the outro add complexity and memorability to this piece.
With a solemn intro, “Salt” maintains a deliberate slow pace throughout, and emphasizes the sad tone of the lyrics. It also presents a lead-in to “Wigwam.” Another song that doesn’t overstay its ~5 minute runtime, this track shines in its bridge with a vocal back-and-forth seguing into the massive-sounding outro.
“Word Hoard” gets a synth intro, and has a post-chorus drum section that is to die for with stick hits overlaying a studio effect to make it stand out. Clocking in at almost six minutes, it’s a breeze to get sucked into this one despite its length. “Hiss at the Sun”s intro ambiance makes way for a delicate tune. Ghost notes in the second verse with the aforementioned bass keep the listener’s attention as Nothing is For You winds down.
The title track, “Nothing is For You,” continues the trend of dreamy guitars in the verse and beefy instruments in the chorus. Closing track “Complete” plays into production techniques to expand into the atmosphere the record has been creating. A trek through gentle, distant instruments brings the album to a close.
I was pleased with my time listening to Nothing is For You. I detected hints of Thrice and Deftones in the power behind the instruments, and a strong tinge of emotion backing the vocal delivery. Tooth and Nail proves once again that they can find hidden gems to add to their roster, and Tigerwine exemplifies that notion.
A press copy was provided courtesy of Tigerwine.
