| With the opening chords
of Loner, The Tyde got off to a slow but solid start,
and with Henry, they picked up the pace a bit with more of a distinct
power pop hook. Keyboardist Ann Do
provided a bright and snappy
accompaniment to the solid guitar chords.
But don't let the sweetness, or even
occasional blandness, of The Tyde's approach fool you, as the wall of
sound can be near-deafening at times - complex, yet engagingly lethargic,
with all the influence of their California surfboard roots and then some.
On Shortboard City, the band
finally seemed to affect the crowd, which began - if not outright dancing,
at least twitching. Maybe this wasn't group leader
Darren Rademaker's new millennium
reincarnation of Brian and
Dennis Wilson (yes, I realize
Brian isn't dead yet!), but all the Beach Boys endless
summery overtones were there.
But this was a relative standout among a fair
number of somewhat plodding tunes. The Tyde's pace, despite the
firm, intricate approach, can be somewhat slow and |
|
disaffected, to the point where I wanted them to
pick it up a bit. This lethargy was pervasive even
as the projected home surfing videos played full-tilt in the background.
With the final number, D, the band
seemed to suddenly hit its stride with straight ahead rock, punctuated by
Ann's percolating keyboards and an excellent, extended, feedback-laden
open finish. But for the majority of their set, it seemed as if they
were unsure of their direction, despite solid musicianship. Still,
The Tyde are well worth watching - expect good things to come!
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