We've kinda had our one good eye on Tin Can Phone since we ran this article on them back in the day. So we knew it was coming, their latest LP, Adapter, and snatched it up first chance.
And Yep, we're gonna recommend you do the same. If you want to save time, just stop reading now and go here.
So a little background - Tin Can Phone generates some sweet home-grown reggae, with their previous release, 15 Songs, blistering with excellent Jamaican-styled heat.
Then they release this, which would be an injustice to call a "followup": It humiliates the high bar set by "15 Songs", with deeper compositions, cross-genre explorations, and better workmanship; setting a new standard for, or perhaps a new definition of, these guys from Michigan.
They drag you in with the ska-ish, pop-rock-reggae mania of the first track ("New Song"), then barrage you with numbers bulging with bridges, intros, nearly-too-short guitar solos, change-ups, and the occasional unfamiliar time signature. In this release, you'll get studied, almost psych-jam sessions and discoveries ("Sink", "Rapid Eye Movement"), as well as jazzish time signatures ("5 by 5") and rock-hard guitar solos("Urgency", "Peace of Mind").
Though they never stray too far out of their reggae comfort zone, the fact that they wander into other genres with ease proves a branching out into new turf, a movement past (or through?) the reggae genre, and into their own unique, reggae-rock-ska-jazz sound. A turning point, we'll say. Or maybe just the logical progression of experience, clarity, and inspiration, brought on by passion, a home studio, and a serious work ethic.
At any rate, buy now, thank us later.
And in the probable case that you don't believe us, give a listen and make your own call:
Find out more about Tin Can Phone on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace, Bandcamp, and Home Base.
It's spring, 2011, and you're probably heading into it much like we are, with the hoary tendrils of Winter still clinging to your attitude like the smoke smell in your hair from last night's soiree. Time to change tunes, and we can recommend a bearer of said tunes: Tin Can Phone.
Here's the guys right here. On the right is Bert Mesa, who gives 'em their nice reggae-ish percs. Next to him is Josh Nicholson, who's got lead guitar. And over on the far left is Matt Rusin, who does the singing and strums guitar. Next to Matt is his cousin Tyler Rusin, who bears their bass.
Now these fellas are Michigan transplants; moving here and forming the band back in 2007. But that's OK - They don't sound like white-bread yankees, but more like dreadlocked Rastafarians with beach sand still wedged between their toes.
Take a listen to "Slow Down"; see if you don't catch the vibe:
Hard to tell from that number, but we can't say they're straight-ahead, unveeringly Reggae. Nope. Though their compositional roots grow from the soil of the Jamaican sound, they venture away from Timbales and prominent riddims, instead putting acoustic rhythm guitars front and center, then topping that off with Matt's understated vox.
We're going out of turn here, but take a listen to "Leap of Faith" for a taste of broader influences:
That "going out of turn" comment is about Tin Can Phone's gift for story-telling. Their "15 Songs" LP is saturated with stories, and the afore-embedded "Leap of Faith" comes as the post-script of the previous cut, "New Orleans":
Further, the guys don't just tell stories, but, true to their reggae roots, can also drive home social issues with subtlety and conviction: Be sure to take in "Drugs" and "Amero" (below) to witness some surprising ferocity.
The fellas have been gigging here in town, but have also jammed Corpus Christi, Dallas, Galveston, and New Orleans, to name a few. Meanwhile, they're DIY-ing their way through their next LP, "Adapter", and it should pop out "late this summer":
The album ... will be a more accurate representation of how we sound live than anything we have released previously. We spent all winter cooped up in our home studio laying down tracks...
--Tyler Rusin
We're curious to hear what being confined to winter quarters will do to the sunny sounds of Tin Can Phone. But we're confident, in that everything's-gonna-be-all-right kinda way, that it will turn out as brilliant as their latest, "15 Songs", which we'll leave you with:
Find out more about Tin Can Phone on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace, Bandcamp, and Home Base.
[All photos courtesy of Kelly Wendt.]
