Tin Foil (LP)

Tin Foil is a Detroit combo who I caught when the Gizmos played the Outer Limits Lounge Stroh-Down last month. As I noted at the time, their set was a wild mix of  "70's hard rock'n'glam, this time with a healthy dose of psych and a bit of Voidoids noize blended in." This LP was recorded and released a couple of years ago and their sound'n'visuals have been updated a bit since then, but this is still a fine record, albeit a bit less 70's glam, but with plenty of garage-y noize.

"Glamorous" starts Side A off with a bit of demented, energetic noise punky pop - almost kinda like the Angry Samoans if they were trying to be a slightly less of a jokey band. "Can't Stay Here" is more of a 60's garagey pop-psyche/ late San Fran style with a touch of later Velvets with cleverly written melodies and arrangement. From there they get a bit weirder again with "See You No" - kinda early post-punk with melodies but an oddly affected vocal line followed by "Telephone Wires", a more straight-forward fast-paced 70's-styled punk rock and "She's an Automaton", a cool 60's groove mixed with layers of noize and pop tunes.

Side R opens with "Tomorrow Again" that has some kinda-sorta country pickin' and hick-ish vocals amongst the pop that contrasts with a tough, power-chord (in a VU style) chorus - really strange but enticing! "Shape of Savannah" is more psych-ish pop, "Give a Try" is fuzzy, powerful, VU-garage with cool, Big Star-like harmonies, "Unsteady Vision" is back with more high energy punk rock and the finale, "Money and Cans" is one of the stranger ones of the set - still melodic but weird layers of garage riffs, power chords and dissonance combined to make another uniquely Tin Foil tune.

The Mid West is definitely a breeding ground for more unusual combos that still manage to be effectively catchy and captivating and Tin Foil is certainly one of my new faves. I'm looking forward to hearing what they come up with next!