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Innuendos is a psychedelic exploration of life, youth and jamming. The album title perhaps alluding to the certain insinuations or allusions that go with being young, and celebrating or rejecting them through song.
The Tiny Giants fit the recent 60’s garage revival with bands like The Murlocs and The Living Eyes, whilst throwing in elements of classic Australian-rock and blues, creating their own authentic sound. Teachers is a perfect example, the song drifts off on psychedelic tangents while maintaining a classic rock beat, with rolling surf-garage guitar riffs (think The Atlantics) and that raucous vocal delivery that captures Aussie culture (think You Beauty).
The Tiny Giants take big strides in their latest EP Innuendos. With touches of surf, garage rock and blues, it’s very much a raw, sweaty warehouse recording.
Jasper Jolley, Etienne Mantelli and George Wilson first bonded outside the iconic Piping Hot chicken shop in their home town Ocean Grove over their mutual “hatred of ska music”. Since then they have already recorded two albums, both produced in the same D.I.Y fashion, from the living room and kitchen of Jolly’s house.
Whilst chatting to lead guitarist and vocalist Jolly about the recording experience he described it as “Comfy and relaxing”. He says their production process for Innuendos consisted of “Jamming on stuff” then having it mixed by Paul Maybury in his warehouse. Maybury did an amazing job capturing the essence of the jam; take for instance the sounds of the scorching Victorian summer in which Innuendos was recorded – it totally translates in the hot and sweaty audio used in their more upbeat tracks. Teachers captures those sweltering days at school where everyone would be counting down the minutes to the bell, while Ass All Day is a perfect backyard banger.
Youth offers a poetic tribute to the younger years of life recited over an irregular psychedelic experimental session. One of The Tiny Giants’ more emotive tracks, the song explores deeper themes such as confusion and confrontation in a way that rings true; whether you are young now, or reminiscing on youth, the song is bound to strike a chord. The confusion in the lyrics is supported instrumentally using an intentionally structured but messy rhythm and extended, expressive guitar and drum solos – nailing a complex sound of organised mess.
I Sing To Myself and Constant Disarray again communicate messages of confusion and self-discovery. The latter using dreamy experimental electric guitar and echoing lyrical harmonies; like a slightly darker version of King Gizzard’s Slow Jam. While I Sing To Myself opens with an extended folky acoustic like guitar riff backed with eerie wah-wah effects and soft ghost-like backing vocals comparable to Missing Links.
The Tiny Giants manage to sing about issues that are pertinent, while balancing the mood instrumentally. They disguise messages in their sound and entwine them with their lyrics, the final product being meaningful yet fun music that is well beyond their years.
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