The Tyde
Twice
Rough Trade
The Los Angeles quartet The Tyde share singer/guitarist Brent Rademaker, drummer Chris Gunst and guitarist Dave Scher with alt-country band Beachwood Sparks (the band also includes Rademaker’s brother Darren on lead vocals). But those guys would be wise to consider The Tyde as their day job and the Sparks as a side project. While Beachwood Sparks’ gauzy, hippy-dippy psychedelic country can occasionally wear out its welcome, the indie pop of The Tyde is way more interesting and worth a few more spins.
“Cut me down / Run me out of town / I’ll find another place to play / I’m a loner anyway,” Rademaker sings on the opening track, against chiming, ringing guitars. Later though, “Blood Brothers” pays tribute to the camaraderie of the rock and roll lifestyle: “Do you wanna know what it feels like to be a man / Try spending 25 years in a band / And then you’ll be a kind of brother to me.”
Musically, The Tyde works some intriguing territory. “Henry VII” sounds like some lost Smiths or Lloyd Cole track from the ’80s, and “Go Ask Yer Dad” could be The Church, back when that Australian band cared about making songs remotely catchy. “Takes A Lot of Tryin’,” with it’s cool fuzz guitar solo, sounds like something Supergrass might do. The band even tries out cheery surf-pop (“Shortboard City”) and shimmering balladry (“Best Intentions”).
Trading recycled Buffalo Springfield and Flying Burrito Brothers riffs for English guitar pop with a touch of California sun may not be what Beachwood Sparks fans were expecting. But The Tyde have produced a consistently enjoyable collection that outshines most of that band’s catalogue.
The Tyde: http://www.thetyde.com/ • Rough Trade: http://www.roughtrade.com
