Tigersaw: Slowcore No More

By Brett Cromwell

Photo by Lara Woolfson

Strange thing happens a few minutes into Tigers on Fire, the new album by Newburyport-based collective Tiger Saw. After a moody instrumental opener, some brief studio banter can be heard ... and then, the horns come. But not the soft bed of horns one might expect from this traditionally slowcore outfit — these horns are blasting and funky, like Stax on steroids. And what follows the horn blasts can best be described as campfire funk, complete with lines like “Come a little closer, put the record on” and “We’re gonna have a house party tonight,” not to mention a true, bona fide guitar solo.

Although this is one of only a few upbeat songs that seem to have snuck onto Tiger Saw’s new album, fans who have followed the eight-year arc of Dylan Metrano and his revolving cast of collaborators may find themselves surprised, if not a little confused. Rightly so, as this is a band that has played with Ida, Songs: Ohia, and The Microphones, and has been compared to like-minded company such as Low and Galaxie 500.

But for laid-back, soft-spoken Metrano, this is just another phase in a prolific career that has lasted almost half his life, taken him to every corner of the U.S. and nine countries in Europe, and introduced him to dozens of contemporaries who have inspired him to take on new things and go in new directions.

“I love soul music,” Metrano, a self-proclaimed Prince addict since his prepubescent years, says with a grin. “The tunes on Sing! [Tiger Saw’s last album, released in October 2005] were all about friendship and were written with the intention of being sing-alongs. Our purpose [on that album] was to create the communal vibe of our live show at the time on record. Tigers on Fire is more physical and rhythm-oriented. We want people to move.”

His humble use of the words “we” and “us” may lead one to believe that Metrano is talking about a band, but in reality, he is the only real constant in this equation. Although Tiger Saw albums inevitably feature a huge variety of musicians (the number on Tigers on Fire totals 21), the friends and collaborators who take part are just that, and their contributions may only encompass a few songs, or even just one. Without exception, they all belong to other bands.

This certainly wasn’t Metrano’s original intention. When Tiger Saw began in 1999, it was simply an outlet for him to record songs that were lyric-driven, beautiful, and timeless. Hamlet Idiot, his seven-year labor of love that had recently disbanded at the time, was quite the opposite. Formed in 1992, the fearless gang of college-age kids moved to Amherst and enjoyed a modest regional following thanks to their similar style to then-popular cult bands like Boss Hog and Royal Trux. Eventually graduating to a spacier, experimental sound, the band moved to L.A., where they almost immediately broke up.

Soon after Hamlet Idiot dissolved, Metrano found his musical style becoming more stripped down and simple, mainly due to his newfound appreciation of softer bands like Smog and The Palace Brothers. When he was ready to begin fleshing out some of his new ideas with others, coming home to Newburyport provided the perfect opportunity. “There’s just such a great community of people here. And it’s not just bands — there are theater projects, artists, and filmmakers, and I consider myself more than just a musician. Instead of getting together to watch football, my friends and I get together and design t-shirts.”

To some, the unpredictability of leading a revolving collective versus a steady band may seem potentially frustrating, but for Metrano, this communal vibe offers the ideal channel to make his creative ideas a reality. “I’ve never had to put an ad in the paper,” he laughs, referencing the close-knit web of musical talent that populates the Boston area — especially Newburyport. Judging from his list of collaborators on Tigers on Fire, it would be interesting to see who might answer that ad if he placed it. Among those making appearances are Gregg Porter and Nate Groth from Hotel Alexis, Nat Baldwin and Angel Deradoorian from Dirty Projectors, Chris Barrett from Christians & Lions, and Sam Rosen.

Also included in the album’s credits are many who took part in the creation of Sing! — a connection that can be heard in the mellower songs that make up more than half of the new album. But somewhere during the recording that began last March, it became evident that Tigers on Fire was moving in a new direction. For starters, Metrano actually had a co-songwriter on a few songs. “Jim Reynolds came and said he wanted to work with me,” says Metrano. “And that had never really happened before.” The primary results of this new adventure were the upbeat “Kick & Snare” (arguably the best track on the album) and the mellower “Catalina.”

In addition, Metrano wrote a few songs with specific performers in mind, such as “Distance,” in which he duets with Camille McGregor from Ponies in the Surf, and “Under the Samba Moon,” a song written specifically for Camille’s brother and fellow band member Alex McGregor, who also happens to be a talented guitarist. Heavily influenced by this soft, sexy duo, Metrano even named the new album after the last Ponies release, Ponies on Fire.

As more colleagues joined in the recording of the new album and became more active in the creative process, a natural evolution of the sound occurred. And then came the horns. “The horn section is really the focus on this album,” says Metrano. “Chris Barrett arranged the parts, and he plays with a lot of Boston bands, so he knew some horn players. We’ve actually recorded three songs since Tigers on Fire was completed, and they are all horn-driven.”

When asked if he’s received any inspiration from current Boston soul-slinger Eli “Paperboy” Reed, Metrano smiles. “Eli is exactly what I want to hear right now in current music. I want to do shows with him, like a rhythm and soul revue.”

Similar to the Sing! recording sessions, a large part of Tigers on Fire was written in the studio. Unlike that album’s three-chord harmonies, however, many parts from the new album are complex, and in some cases weren’t even written by Metrano. Add to this the fact that the touring band shares no members with the collective on the album, and it’s not hard to see why the transition to a live setting has been more difficult than in past tours.

Metrano seems only mildly concerned. This is understandable, given that Tiger Saw has a lengthy and eclectic tour history, including house shows, beach bonfires, and treetop sing-alongs. “I’m not sure what to do at this point,” says Metrano. “We may need to rearrange the songs a little.” The band has plenty of gigs to help them get comfortable with one another, as they embarked on a three-month tour in March that is taking them all over the U.S.

Without a doubt, the most important thing to Metrano in the end is sincerity in his music. “Everything that we say in our songs is honest and true, and people really like that,” says Metrano. “There’s no irony in our music, and we’re not taking any weird posture with it. It’s exactly how we present it.”

Whether it’s in stripped-down, moody headphone music or ass-shaking sonic soul blasts, Tiger Saw should take comfort in knowing that the sincerity in their music is not only recognized, but also appreciated.

www.tigersaw.com