Chew Lips- Unicorn
Fri 26 Mar 2010
Chew Lips- Unicorn
7/10
Florence Welch was the British indie darling of 2009, but in 2010 it’s the turn of Tigs, Chew Lips’ discerning lead vocalist. But unlike Welch, Tigs is one member of a group that prefers to be labeled a band; Chew Lips is not a solo project. Unicorn is the London trio’s debut album and it’s strangely diverse, skipping between Metro-esque guitar pop (‘Karen’) and Massive Attack-style electronica, while they appear to tag themselves as “drone-disco”. While Tigs’ voice is always at the forefront, Will Sanderson and James Watkins each add their own unique touches. There’s brief moments where the men take charge, like on ‘Toro’ where they add a bouncy bass riff and a tight noodling guitar line, reminiscent of New York band The Virgins. However for the most part they are the beat makers, adding shattering industrial noises (‘Gold Key’), swirling jittery electronica (‘Play Together’), abstract percussion (‘Eight’) and a writhing organ (‘Too Much Talking’). Final track ‘Piano Song’ even has them tapping the black and white keys. But despite Sanderson and Watkins’ obvious talent Tigs is clearly the star. She performs vocal acrobatics, molding her voice into different characters like a musical chameleon, encompassing the likes of La Roux, Little Boots and Florence and the Machine. Where she differs is in her eclectic vocal disfigurement, operating within a broader musical sphere that requires a number of different dimensions. She perhaps proves that being part of a band requires more discipline.
Nick
Posted by Nick Fulton under Album, Reviews
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