The book and movie publishing moguls tend to view releases in terms of two seasons. Â There’s the “beach read” that’s an easy vehicle for light entertainment. Â The winter is when serious contenders for an Academy Award are released. Â The depth of cold & dark apparently being when people are contemplative instead of just wanting instant gratification. Â The second release from Sinful Savage Tiger, The Last Night Of The Revels, can certainly be enjoyed for it’s foot-tapping, light-hearted Americana sound. Â But listen a little more, especially to the lyrics, and you realize this is a winter release, with plenty of noir moments and sly cynical observations.
The opening song is Chocolate Cake with its newgrass instrumentation and tight harmonies. Â It sets some good expectations for the rest of the album with a well-balanced mix of vocals and tasty instrumental licks. Â And yet there’s more than meets the ear when an otherwise upbeat song about finding one’s place in the world ends with an admission that the singer is “looking for something I can believe” and also “looking for something I can betray.”
Most of the songs on the disc have that similar toe-tapping groove of mandolin, guitar, and bass, with some fiddle, harmonica or banjo thrown in. Â The lyrics tend to more of a poetic and experiential nature than of the narrative variety. Â In addition to Chocolate Cake I’m enamored with End Of The Horse Drawn Zeppelin with its lazy Sunday feel and rat race observation that “everything slow becomes mere scenery”. Â Still Waiting In Line is a humorous little ditty that probably has a pretty good story behind it. Â The record finishes with Kentucky Steel, a bluesier number that loops back to the beginning of the album and its theme of searching for where you belong.
With their mix of Colin Meloy lyrics and Avett brothers harmonies, Sinful Savage Tigers are a side stage appearance at Coachella or Bonnaroo away from being the next darling of the indie grass crowd. Â The Last Night Of The Revels is good primer on their ability and with it you’ll be able to gloat that you knew of them back when.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.