Citizen Dick Exclusive – Twin Tigers – Passive Idol

We are always excited when we have the opportunity to be the first to debut a new track from a band that we love, and this new single from the Athens quartet, Twin Tigers, is no exception. If you are hip to the band and have read anything about them previously, you are probably aware of the obvious comparisons to groups like My Bloody Valentine, JAMC, and Sonic Youth. There is definitely a good deal of weight behind those parallels, but they fall far short of providing an all-encompassing assessment of what these guys are all about. That said, one spin of their latest single, “Passive Idol,” should help you fill in some of the holes left by those generalizations. While the influence of the 90’s garage sound is definitely present, there is a lot more at play here. The opening explosion of guitars and distortion is like Jane’s Addiction on Valium (which probably isn’t much of a stretch to imagine), but as it eases in I am almost immediately taken to Mercury Rev by the lush and lazy orchestral arrangements. Rhythmically my mind wanders to shades of earlier Radiohead tracks, perhaps some that may have fallen somewhere between The Bends and OK Computer. At times I am even reminded a bit of The Shins by the effortlessly cool vibe of the track. Moments of dark industrialism are brightened sporadically by crisp guitars that wane nonchalantly from sharp to dull. Overall the track sinks and soars with ease, both sonically and emotionally. Obviously there is a lot going over the course of five minutes, but at no time does any of it feel forced or contrived.

As a bit of an aside, the lyrics-junkie in me sticks on the line “I gotta be in your movie,” which reminds me of a quote that I heard a while ago and have always felt to be somewhat true. I forget the exact words, but the gist of it is that, as humans, we are all characters in each others’ movies yet we are all stars of completely different films. When you listen to the words you will see how that relates, so if you miss it on your first time through be sure to give it another spin.

The record, titled Gray Waves, is out March 2nd via Old Flame Records. If that release wasn’t already on your radar, I imagine that it will be after you hear “Passive Idol” a few times.

Twin Tigers – Passive Idol