This Brooklyn, NY based band was formed in the summer of 2009 by singer/ guitarist Tom Tierney (Julie Christmas, Warship, Red Sails...), bassist Patrick Southern (Kiss Kiss, Red Sails, Earthquakes...), and drummer Francis Mark (From Autumn To Ashes, Julie Christmas, Warship...), all of which already had ample experience playing in bands (even together) with a variety of styles ranging between Metal, Jazz, Folk, Hardcore, Post-Rock, Indie Pop, Blues, and Noise. Not surprisingly, in Tidal Arms one can find all those influences culled together to form a magnificently impressive whole!
Owning their own studio, Spaceman Sound, the trio recorded a first duo of songs for their debut 7-inch Flooded Meadows/ Hair which, if I ain't mistaken, was already released by Black Numbers in the Summer of 2010, with the debut album The Sun Exploding (also recorded at their own studio, and mixed by Andrew Schneider, known from previous work with the likes of Unsane, Cave In, and Pelican) following in February 2011. The album was released to rave reviews, which in turn led to a national tour supporting Glassjaw, as well as a series of regional shows. During their short existence, the band has also shred stages with such notable acts as Coliseum, The Body, Caspian, Rosetta, Aa, East Of The Wall, Hull, Primitive Weapons, On The Might Of Princes, Sainthood Reps, City Of Ships and Cerebral Ballzy...a somewhat varied bunch to say the least, but not surprisingly so! You see, when one looks at the bands which TA itself cites as influences (Converge, Tom Waits, Earth, Nick Cave, My Bloody Valentine, Harvey Milk, Engine Down, Marc Ribot, On The Might Of Princes, Melvins, Roky Erickson, Dick Dale, Bill Frisell, Arnold Schoenberg, etc...) one easily understands the psychedelic basis of their sound, which at one time is calmer and introvert, and then suddenly explosive and magnificent...bombastic in a good way!
The sophomore album (self-produced in collaboration with Alex Mead-Fox finds the trio comfortably at ease with their sound, to which they added elements of Post-Hardcore, Noise Rock and Doom for their heaviest, most ethereal creation yet. Mastered by sound wizard Alan Douches at his West West Side Music studio, the 10-track album gets a sure-fire explosive sound which propels the songs from your speakers into your living room with clear precision and clarity. In the middle of it all, there's Tierney, whom with his melancholic voice puts a signature tag on the whole. For your listening sessions of both albums, seek out the “Audio” section of the band's own (http://) tidalarms.com. Prefer video? Check the “Video” section on same site for some in-studio footage alongside the official video for “Hair & Teeth” (all songs on the albums are also featured here in audio-only “videos”). For your (paid) download (or vinyl copy) of the album, go to the band's bandcamp site (http://) tidalarmsmusic.bandcamp.com (two tracks are free!).
Well, that ends this here review, but not without me stating that, during the time which I was allowed to listen to the album prior to making this review, the material crept into my mind and senses to the point that I am now willing to add Tidal Arms to my 2013 year-lists!