Just over ten years ago, Brooklyn-based band Miniature Tigers released their debut record, Tell It to the Volcano, a catchy and whimsical adventure through singer-songwriter Charlie Brand’s early twenties. The band’s latest release, Vampires in the Daylight, puts on display how far the band and Brand have come since those relatively carefree years.
While Volcano is all about chasing girls and being anxious about it, Vampires seems to have an added layer of love and loss. Brand’s lyrics- though they still contain some clever metaphors and fun turns of phrase- have lost some of that naive whimsy in exchange for a greater emotional honesty and clarity. This album centers around what seems to be a particularly devastating breakup. He opens up about personal details, such as bleaching his hair in a manic episode or drinking himself into a stupor as an admittedly poor coping mechanism.
Instrumentally, Vampires goes beyond the superficial and complements the expressive qualities of the lyrics. “Wish” is almost reminiscent of an ‘80s power ballad, but it somehow perfectly captures the feelings of longing that Brand describes in his lyrics. The acoustic guitar line has a nostalgic feel that gives the bouncy tempo a tint of sadness. “Manic Upswings” evokes desperation with its fast-paced strumming and competing guitar lines. Many of the songs on Vampires incorporate sounds of digital decay, feedback, and the breaking up of connections, heightening the feeling that something- either a relationship or the singer himself- is breaking down.
Most of the songs go beyond the classic pop structure, either by completely foregoing the verse-chorus-verse formula, or by adding groovy and expressive instrumental sections. There’s a really satisfying attention to detail in the production on this record where every element seems to fit perfectly into place.
Vampires in the Daylight is a great newcomer to the long tradition of breakup albums. Although Brand took quite a few steps into darkness, it’s evident that he’s come back out into the light with a great album in tow.
