Indie rock outfit, Seven Purple Tigers, are clearing the smog with their latest single “Smoke Communiqué” which shows off a laidback, contemplative composition against the wails of singer, Austin Horn. For fans of Cage the Elephant, The Strokes, or even Arctic Monkeys, this song takes a passive continental philosophy and terraforms it into a moving aesthetic experience.
The Freiburg, Germany based band relies on cleaner tones for this song as the drive comes more from an acoustic sense of heart swimming in a sea of chorus and reverb. It’s a bare bones approach that serves up something warm and ethereal with a side of snark. “You’re so loud” Horn sings in the opening line “It’s just hot air coming out of your mouth”. Tension naturally expands and contracts with his baritone sulk as before asking in the chorus, “Why do you get to say everything on your mind?”
There’s a desperation and yearning to be heard clearly among a mess of noise that seems impossible to penetrate. In an age where so many loud voices rise to the surface, it can be difficult to make or find space for us without becomes stifled by sheer volume alone. In taking a toned-down approach in the musical structure, Seven Purple Tigers makes space for the voice take as much time and space as it needs to be heard. It works both philosophically and emotionally, that Horn takes center stage with the unyielding support of the band’s musical foundation.
“Smoke Communiqué” is available now on major streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and BandCamp. Find this and more excellent music on the Alchemical Records Multigenre Mixture playlist on Spotify.
Charlie Maybee is a dancer, musician, educator, and writer based in Charleston, South Carolina who currently teaches with the Dance Program at the College of Charleston. His primary work as an artist is with his performing collective, Polymath Performance Project, through which he makes interdisciplinary performance art that centers tap dance as the primary medium of expression and research. He also currently plays rhythm guitar for the Charleston-based punk band, Anergy, and releases music as a solo artist under the name Nox Eterna.
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After AFI DOCS’s departure, the capital city once again has a documentary festival.
Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
