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4 out of 10
The first set of songs a band writes are rarely their best, sometimes they come close, but rarely are they the best thing a band ever does. It's not too surprising when you think about; they'll still be finding their feet, afraid to push themselves too much, too scared of offending their band mates, of expressing their opinion for fear of being ridiculed. Rarely will a band find their feet from the get go, and Tribal Brides Of The Amazon are no exception. Our Battle With Kimodo Dragons is the first seven songs they wrote, and it shows.
Whilst not as truly terrible as some band's demos, Our Battles.. seems a bit lost at times, as if they don't know where to place themselves. 'Jaws 4' is a jerky, angry post-punk number which would form a good blueprint for a band, but when it's compared to the turgid, melodic rock feel of 'Dim Hills', it seems that Tribal Brides are unsure of where to pitch themselves, so are throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. Not an unusual approach for a band just starting out, but it's worthwhile to stick to your guns and not try and pleases everyone. The difference in styles showcased on Our Battles.. is fairly wide, but not in a good way. Such are the follies of youth.
Tribal Brides come off as trying too hard to be something they're not, and should just be content to stick to what they're good at. Which, it should be said, is not coming up with bands names. Or, judging by the photo on the back of this CD, neither is cover art. Maybe it's time to go back to the drawing board guys. At one point singer Jim Mycock declares "I've seen better days", in a voice that sits somewhere between Matt Bellamy's Jeff Buckley-ribbing breathy operatic crooning and the guy from Against Me's gruff tones - and on the basis of this collection of songs, it seems a fitting description of Tribal Brides.
Listen: www.myspace.com/tribalbrides
Tracklist:
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