As Blue as Indigo
As Blue As Indigo is built around changes in scale. Tigercub move between quieter, more exposed writing and large, distorted guitar passages, with Jamie Hall's voice connecting the two. The Brighton trio use familiar alternative rock sounds, but the arrangements give their second album enough movement to avoid becoming a simple collection of heavy riffs.
The opening title track makes the contrast clear. Its gentle, almost jazzy beginning leaves plenty of room around the vocal before the drums and guitars arrive with much greater force. The change is dramatic, but the softer opening remains an important part of the song rather than a delay before the main attraction.
Stop Beating on My Heart (Like a Bass Drum) develops a similar relationship through its groove. The restrained opening gives way to dirtier guitar textures, bringing more weight to the rhythm without losing the shape of the tune. Hall's control matters here: he can make the quieter lines feel intimate while still meeting the larger sound when it arrives.
Sleepwalker and Beauty take a more direct route. Their heavy, rough-edged guitars give the album a physical centre, with less waiting before the riffs make their presence felt. As Long as You're Next to Me adds another useful variation, placing a wirier guitar part against substantial bass. Those differences keep the heavier material from merging into one continuous texture.
The middle of the record slows down with Funeral and Built to Fail. The string-led sadness of Funeral gives the album a more vulnerable side, and the quieter pair make sense within its emotional range. Together, though, they reduce some of the momentum established by the earlier songs.
There are other limits. The buzzy, bass-heavy production can sound familiar, and the band do not completely escape the shadow of their influences. Yet the performances bring enough character to that framework. As Blue As Indigo is strongest when its quieter details and louder passages feel equally necessary, making the changes in pressure serve the songs. It is an engaging, occasionally uneven record with more to offer than its initial weight suggests.
