Tigers That Talked – Black Heart, Blue Eyes EP

boasts band members from ‘assorted corners of the UK and Europe’, a fact which is distinctly audible within the soundscape of ‘Black Heart, Blue Eyes’.

The title track starts us off on a good foot; a very British, very polished sound, mellow at the offset but building nicely into an enthusiastic and charming offering. Moving straight into the quieter ‘Smokescreen’, it would be easy to lose interest at this point were it not for the band’s signature violins kicking in at various intervals to stir things up a little. The haunting vocals and, again, heavy violins present at the beginning of ‘The Electric Press’ are nicely contrasted towards the middle of the song in the form of a simple whistling solo and beautiful female harmonies, making the song both engaging and captivating. By far the most impressive track is the 4 minute 18 seconds long epic ‘Duet’; a perfect Yin to ‘Black Heart, Blue Eyes’’ and ‘Smokescreen’’s Yang. The muddled, folksy sound conjures up images of frenzied goat-like demons and screaming goblins around crackling campfires. Or maybe that’s just us. A nice end to an accomplished 4-tracker, either way.

The emotionally salient lyrics throughout the entire EP make for a relatable and enjoyable creation, and with an overall run-time of less than 15 minutes it’s definitely worth a listen. Watch out for their debut album which is to be released later this summer through Bad Sneakers; judging by the quality of the EP, you won’t want to miss it.