Context – lazy Sundays

Tides of Man came to me via recommendation from a friend at New Years, and I needed something to help get amped for some morning gaming, so they win the album of the day prize.  And for their efforts I will sing glowingly of their praises.

They’re pretty good.

Somewhere between math rock and screamo, Tides of Man does their best Saosin impression while still keeping it funky-fresh with some solid orchestration.  Makes me feel like 2006 in the best way, and their releasing this album 3 years after my first impression suggests explains how they fell off my radar.

I would be really excited to see them open up for Coheed and Cambria or at a festival like RiotFest, but I don’t know how much seeking out I’ll be doing for them.  Fun while they lasted, and sure to be fun again, but far enough down the priority list I can realistically see them becoming another “oh yea, that band.”

Because I played more than 45 minutes of games, their third album, Young and Courageous, came on while I’m writing this.  This album seems to have completely forgone vocals, and comes off much more Explosions in the Sky.  I’ll have to see what sits between Empire Theory and Young and Courageous to see how abrupt of a shift this was.  I can see a path from A to B; we’ll see how close my estimations are upon further review.  This album is good, but not better than Explosions in the Sky or Godspeed! You Black Emperor.

If you’re into The Sound of Animals Fighting and wish Coheed and Cambria wrote more songs like “A Favor House Atlantic”, then this band is probably for you.  If you wondered what the ocean sounded like through an Orange amplifier and skinny jeans, then this is probably a thing you would be into.  If you want Oi! Punks, jean jackets in any and all conditions, and spikes in your jewelry than this band is probably not going to be tolerated in your CD player.  If kids these days still have CD players.