Fond of Tigers

Vancouver’s Fond of Tigers follow one explosive record with another, though this EP finds the seven-piece messing with familiar patterns in measured tones. Repetition serves Fond of Tigers well, as the group latch onto intriguing progressions with stirring time signatures, exploring them for all they’re worth. Guitarist Stephen Lyons often lays the foundation with his jagged parts, cutting through a polyrhythmic melee that leaves enough space for J.P. Carter’s soaring trumpet and Jesse Zubot’s inventive violin parts. On the 14-minute "Long Way to Temporary,” the subtlety of the band’s dynamics is masked by the power of their exuberant improvisation. "New Map” is a similar beast but is tame and meditative, with only hints of a guitar riff implying that a musical storm lurks on the horizon. No such outburst occurs until a minute and a half into "Wards 1 & 2,” which climbs up, only to collapse into explorative squawks and squeals before returning as a faint image of itself. Almost theatrical in their pacing, Fond of Tigers continue to keep listeners guessing as to what comes next. (Drip Audio)