Tiger Style764 Hero, I feel, have never really received the acclaim and noticesthey deserve. And why? Their contemporaries in Built to Spill andModest Mouse, who 764 Hero even did a split EP with, have gone on fromUp Records to great acclaim and larger audiences. True, they signed tomajor labels to do so. And maybe that's what separated 764 Hero. Theyaren't willing to make sacrifices to move ahead. This, their fourthfull-length on Tiger Style Records, is a breath of fresh air for theband, and it sounds like they had the time of their lives making it. Aslight change of line-up - bass player James Bertram left the band,replacing him is Robin P, who, coincidentally, plays bass for ModestMouse on tour - means a slight change in the name, too, apparently, asthis is the first 764 Hero record without a hyphen in the band's name.It's the little things that count. With Phil Ek at the boards onceagain, the band has a great straightforward rock sound, showcasingtheir strengths in spades, even when they are slowing down the pace abit. John Atkins has always sounded a bit like Doug Martsch from Builtto Spill with his delivery, and on this record he embraces it withgusto, belting out each track as though it were his last attempt, andit's clearer in the mix than ever before. The band is tighter thanever, the songs are more confident and catchy. Atkins' lyrics arequirky, as always, providing fluent descriptions of change. This is thealbum that will get this band the individual notice they deserve. Let'shope so, at least.
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