Posted on: August 7, 2011 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Traveling the wide landscapes between power pop and alt-country, Columbus, Ohio’s Tin Armor has comfortably found their home. Tin Armor’s sophomore album, Life of Abundance, is a noticeable leap forward from the comfortable indie pop/rock of the band’s past. With Life Of Abundance, this talented quartet has sharpened its songwriting acumen and widened its scope and vision to great effect. Displaying an ever-expanding appreciation for a range of classic acts from Big Star to The Band, Tin Armor has produced a record that grows more memorable with each passing listen.

Tin Armor provides hearty indie roots with rich, ripe swathes of gospel, power-pop, and country sensibilities. All of the necessary elements are present and at the right levels: clean guitar licks mesh well with the rich piano and organ tones, while the supple bass runs suitably enhance the bright drums and layered percussion. The interplay between the lead vocals and the two- and three-part harmonies is masterful. To be sure, these are familiar tones and ingredients being used in this recipe, but they are utilized with vim, vigor, and purpose. In short, the record is replete with stellar instrumentation, as each part is given equal voice in the mix.

Often when a band “matures” the emotion and soul can be sadly left behind. Fortunately that is not the case with Tin Armor. Instead, the emotions are heightened on Life of Abundance and the listener can feel the subtle tension in the band’s soulful Americana pop. Life of Abundance rings out with an honesty and sincerity that’s difficult to ignore and the impression left behind is anything but fleeting.

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