Soft Tigers - M.A.R.I.A.7"

Thu 24th May, 2007 in Music Reviews

Something so wobbly could only have come out on vinyl. This limited run single from the Canberra-by-way-of-Sydney Soft Tigers is a full seven inches of sloppy yet sincere synth-pop; the type seemingly long-forgotten in this newly anointed fluoro age.

Nostalgia practically seeps out of the black stuff – but it’s not just a mark of the medium. Lyrics imbued with Sydney references (the Gaslight!) and documenting an attempted reconciliation with a girl called Maria provide fitting narrative for the playful and minimal musical backdrop.

On the flipside is the scattered Bumblebeez Sharapova Mix which reconstructs the original with a little cut/copy and peppered beats. While it doesn’t lift the song beyond the realms of bedroom recording, it shoves next door to the room occupied by the more self-assured and worldly older brother.

M.A.R.I.A. is an intriguing introduction to a band whose retro touches seem more innate than indebted. With the demos from their debut album Gospel Ambitions currently only available on cassette the past has never looked so present.