We seem to have at last reached the point where ‘crossover’ is no longer a point of conversation, where any style or genre can slur into another without it being a selling point or an issue for criticism either. If the early 80s in particular broke new ground experimentally, it was the turn of the millennium which saw the peak of crossovers, notable rock / rap / metal, creating a new hybridity between previously exclusive forms, and giving rise to landmark works like the ‘Judgement Night’ soundtrack.
It’s not that such hybridity has become old hat, so much as it’s become accepted as a kind of norm, and with ‘Any Contact’, Tigerside bring myriad elements together – 80s pop, 90s indie, electro, and alternative rock. In a way, it’s an exercise in a musical magpie approach to create something that’s remarkably cohesive.
It’s not hard to hear why Tigerside come recommended as being for fans of Bastille and The XX, as they spin mesmerizingly atmospheric soundscapes while keeping a firm eye on the strong and accessible vocal melody – and it’s with good reason they also call to mind fellow Mancinian alternative rock / pop act The Slow Readers Club, an act who really have that concise guitar-driven alt-pop style absolutely nailed.
‘Any Contact’, then, packs a lot into four short but hook-filled minutes, and it’s strong yet accessible – not only because it covers all bases, but because it’s a create song – danceable, with a strong 90s bent and laces threads of nostalgia both socially and lyrically – but also contemporary. There really is a lot to like.
