Young people these days have it pretty tough. No Blink 182, adolescence isn’t just about drinking, parties and exchanging bodily fluid. With all the emotional turmoil and angst that inevitably comes with growing up, teens have some serious issues to confront at a tender age. At least that’s what TRIBES would have you believe.
Earmarked as (one of many) NME ‘Next Big Things’, Tribes’ particular brand of melodic, heartfelt pop is warm and familiar. Debut album Baby is a collection of sweet and personal songs that traverse the varied struggles and challenges of young-person-hood. The group invoke an innocence and vulnerability similar to The Drums in their adolescent tales of woe.
The overall tone of the record is solemn, but this is not to say Baby is a dour affair. Stand-outs include 'Corner of an English Field' and 'Sappho,' however the feature track of the album is undoubtedly 'Himalaya.'
While its opening sounds like the perfect high school prom slow-dance number, it manifests and develops into an epic, soaring opus, certain to further the band’s live credentials. 'Halfway Home' is another notable inclusion-uninhibited and once again heartbreaking. Lead singer Johnny Lloyd’s voice cracks and breaks throughout the record, further encapsulating the youthful vulnerability that characterises ‘Baby’. While his lyrics are simple, Lloyd maintains a sincerity which could only ring true from a voice untainted by the cynicism of age.
Go ahead. Hang up your hang-ups and let your inner hopeless romantic be swept up in the earnest fragility of adolescent heartbreak.
Words by Dominic Sciberras.
