The Consumption

Fond of Tigers — Continent and Western (Drip Audio)

“Soheb,” the opener on “post-everything” Vancouver septet Fond of Tigers’ latest, is a hell of a track to wake up to. Starting with a simple melodic line, it quickly descends into swirling madness and atonal skronk, eventually returning to its opening theme by increasingly demented routes. It’s a lot to wrap your head around at 8:30am. The rest of the disc doesn’t get much easier.

That’s not a criticism, though. After a single listen, Continent and Western’s immediate highlight is the Sandro Perri-led “Vitamin Meathawk,” about as close to straightforward post-rock as the band gets, but that’s likely because the rest of the album needs time to congeal. It’s clear that the Tigers are restless experimenters, who know both how to launch a tune off the deep end and how to patiently build a melodic theme. Closer “Upheaval” is as beautiful and restrained as “Soheb” is abrasive, and if it seems metaphorically inaccurate to describe the space between as a “journey,” that’s only because the through-line is so elusive. This isn’t an album that holds your hand, by any stretch, but the Tigers keep just enough pop in their avant-whatever to entice you through even the most indulgent moments.

Sample Track:
Vitamin Meathawk (feat. Sandro Perri) by OFFSEASON RECORDS