Once again, Canada proves they too are capable of producing must hear indie rock, this time with the always impressive Vancouver quartet Yukon Blonde. Having a handful of releases already under their belt (and a few under their previous moniker, Alphababy), the band has already picked up a sizable amount of fans due to long tours and stops at SXSW and is currently being hailed in their home country as one of the best Canadian outfits.
This, their highly anticipated sophomore LP, stemmed from frontman Jeffrey Innes’ recent foray into writing quicker paced songs that paid homage to legends like the Buzzcocks, Ramones, and Talking Heads. Stepping away from the analog tape of their earlier work, this time around the band opted to go the digital route, the result being a flawless sound with pristine, crisp production. While still retaining the memorable riffage and glorious harmonies of their previous discs, Tiger Talk is a much more energetic, dare I say glam-pop flavored outing, nearly anthemic in its delivery and with a much punchier, almost punk spirit. The album opener “My Girl” lures the listener in with infectious, jangly guitars, and the ear candy, power-pop catchiness on highlights like ‘Oregon Shores” or “For LA” make this an instantly memorable listen.
With summer just around the corner, the vivid guitar work, uplifting harmonies and overall sunny feel sound seem tailor made for driving around with the windows down. It’s a timeless formula that sounds like it could have been penned in any decade since the ‘60s, though after being put through the Yukon Blonde filter it takes on a new identity, with endless melodica, charged pop-rock flavor, and bouncy rhythms. While it does retain the ‘70s radio rock textures we’re accustomed to from Yukon Blonde, this is a quicker, rowdier, and overall more volatile version of an already fantastic band. The first truly great disc of 2012, this is a must hear record from a band destined to be legendary.