(((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain))))): THIS TOWN NEEDS GUNS

Saturday, 11 April 2015

THIS TOWN NEEDS GUNS

Band: THIS TOWN NEEDS GUNS (aka TTNG)

Genres: Punk / Rock / Emo / Alternative / Shoegaze / Indie Rock / Prog-Rock / Math Rock / Twinkle / Pop
Related artists: ?.
Country: Oxford UNITED KINGDOM
Years Active: 2004-present
Song: "Badger"
Album: "Animals"
Year: 2008
Label(s): Self Released / Big Scary Monsters / Yellow Ghost Records / Sargent House / Stiff Slack / Faux Discx / Klee
This post's artist is from the April 2015 Mix. This is track #4.
You can download: the April Mix#4 right here or get the new May 2015 Mix#5 here.
For fans of: No Knife, Maps And Atlases, Piglet, Waxwing, Roy, The Exploration, Riddle Of Steel, The Advantage, Mewithoutyou, Anthony Green, Native, Sore Eyelids and Criteria.

I remember a few years back when THIS TOWN NEEDS GUNS (now shittily changed to the acronym TTNG) released a new album and although I was excited, the time between 'Animals' and '13.0.0.0.0.''was a long one and further magnified by the change in vocalists. Even better than the bands noodley, mathy, twinkly guitar-work were those perfectly tuned vocal chords that dripped with emotion (and talent). I also checked out the self-titled album before 'Animals' which was alright but the hooks didn't flip me out of the pond (I'm a fish in this analogy...I think?). Therefore I will only discuss the nearly immaculate record that is 'Animals'.

"Badger" is the penultimate THIS TOWN NEEDS GUNS track. The brooding nature seemingly dilutes but is actually creating an epoxy that is triggered at the 2:11-mark as the slow motion explosion begins that leads to those unreal vocals that radiate out just before and after 3 minutes. Honestly this song is breathtaking and the other tracks feel like branch-offs of "Badger" but that's probably more because that song massages my earholes.

That being said, I should mention that "Chinchilla", "Baboon", "Lemur", "Panda", "Pig", "Dog", "Rabbit" and "Zebra" are all fantastic. That's 9:13 in terms of the ratio amazingness:total songs. "Chinchilla" is pretty soothing after a pretty driving beginning and flourishing vocals at 2:25. "Pig" features lush falsetto vocals by Stuart that sway perfectly with slow, The Exploration-esque twinkling emo guitar. "Baboon" boasts some really intricate guitar interplay that has a seething, dark and evil side to it - the way a forest does at night in the pitch black. Outshining the shadowy nature is the beautiful stop/start instrumentals and syrupy crooning that light up the song enough to make it extremely accessible and a banger to boot. "Panda", "Lemur" and "Dog" are much more relaxed and rolling while "Rabbit" injects a cloudy yet danceable haze into the album right before the closer "Zebra" which is a very cool xylophone and strings arrangement with vocals deep enough they could be Stuart chanting. Such a killer album. Reminds me of South Korea where I was for two and a half years when I first got this cd. Hi Sarah!

It should also be noted that the 2011 7" 'Adventure, Stamina and Anger' featured Stuart Smith on vocals directly before his departure from the band, so that is worth checking out here because it's really, really good. Like, seriously fucking amazing. Check it!

That was a weird review.

________________________________________

DISCOGRAPHY

2006 - Hippy Jam Fest cd/7"EP (got it? post it please!)

2007 - Cats And Cats And Cats split cdLP (got it? post it please!)

2008 - This Town Needs Guns cd/12"LP (stream/buy here)
2008 - Animals cd/12"LP (stream/buy here)

2009 - Live Acoustics single (stream/buy here)

2011 - Adventure, Stamina and Anger 7" (stream/buy here)

2013 - 13.0.0.0.0. cd/12"LP (stream/buy here)

________________________________________

(2011) THIS TOWN NEEDS GUNS - "Mnspector Iorse" (from 'Adventure, Stamina and Anger')