Posted on: September 12, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

“We Are All Strays” is a tremendous six-minute plus track that may seem daunting to those more familiar with mainstream music, but one needs to stick with the track. The band is able to subtly change their sound throughout the track, with the grandiose atmosphere created by the track ebbing and flowing in a natural way. “Stinngybadly” is a unification of Sonic Youth, The Smiths, The Cure, and even “Cherub Rock”-era Smashing Pumpkins. Two distinct elements of Tirra Lirra deserve mention during “Stinngybadly”, though. The vocals recall the halcyon days of the early nineties, back when bands like The Pixies ruled the radio, while the guitars pound in a simple and completely fulfilling line into listeners’ brows. “Lightning Luxury” has a similarly beautiful bit of guitar work, but for me, I feel as if the drums are what impress the most here.

There is a primal sound to the drums that is reined in by the much more reserved guitars. By the time that the vocals do start up, this blend of dark and light, guttural and cultured, is something masterful. The guitar line gains energy from a deeper, bassier arrangement, while the guitars provide the x factor necessary to transform “Lightning Luxury” into another strong effort by Tirra Lirra. “Fever Dream” is evidence that listeners should not expect anything but quality from Tirra Lirra. The track has a very middle eastern tinge to it at point, with the vocals acting as the dominant force during the track. With these vocals taking a Joy Division tack, the instrumentation enters into the equation and comes out with something that is built off of The Cure’s 1989 opus, “Disintegration”.

“Flutter” is the single most beautiful composition on “Pink Live Forever”, and while the composite parts of the track are strong enough on their own, it seems as if the timing is what is a star here. The back and forth that the guitars/drums and vocals have will involve listeners that much more into the track, touching upon the cultured/guttural discussion heard during “Lightning Luxury”. This is an album that deserves multiple listens, and only by doing that will listeners be able to get a full sense of what Tirra Lirra is attempting to do here.

Top Tracks: We Are All Strays, Fever Dream

Rating: 8.5/10

Tirra Lirra – Pink Live Forever / 2009 Nowhere Records / 8 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/tirralirratirra

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