It is always fascinating recognising influences in a band or artists style, but noting how they have been adapted, morphed into something different and new. For the Brighton based three-piece rock band Tigercub, influences like Nirvana and Queens of The Stone Age are easy and obvious to grasp, but it is also apparent how the trio push through into their own style and making.
For those not in the know, Tigercub consist of Jamie Stephen Hall (vocals and guitar), Jimi Wheelwright (bass) and James Allix (drums). For the last fifteen years they have honed and refined their alternative rock sound, and their albums so far – particularly with 2021’s As Blue As Indigo – have seen them build upon the shifting, quiet-loud dynamics that Cobain and co helped spread across the airwaves.
This isn’t to say they are simply imitators of what came before, but a mere attempt to sum up their essence and foundation of their sound. The reality is that with their latest album, Nets To Catch The Wind, the trio blow straight past many of their more well-known contemporaries and place themselves firmly in their own wheelhouse.
From the off, this is a powerful, mighty album to reckon with. The opening “Silver Smile” sets the pace nicely with booming drums and a ripping, soaring chorus. Lead single “Fall In Fall Out” follows with an upbeat riff and Wheelwright’s bass lathered in fuzzed distortion.
Across the following tracks, the trio demonstrate an immaculate display of powerful, angsty, yet mature alt-rock. Hall’s lyrics and vocals throughout evoke a sense of quiet despair, yearning for a reprieve of what emotional or mental turmoil may be ailing him. A prime example of this is the standout "Stuck In The Melancholy". As the name may suggest, it is gloomy, introspective, but balances looking inward with letting loose with layers and layers of fuzzed guitars.
Where previous album, 2023’s The Perfume Of Decay, was a moody and brooding affair, album number four is a mirrored response; angsty still, yes, but direct, immediate and brimming with energy and intent. With Nets To Catch The Wind, Tigercub feel primed to stake their well-earned claim on a larger stage.
