Tigers Jaw‘s history has been somewhat rocky, with members coming and going. Nevertheless, throughout it all, Ben Walsh and Brianna Collins have been mainstays, gradually solidifying their brand of emo-infused indie rock. 2017’s‘Spin’ and 2021’s ‘I Won’t Care How You Remember Me’ exemplified this, allowing the Scranton, Pennsylvania-founded band to find their feet. The addition of drummer Teddy Roberts and bassist Colin Gorman aided the latter. Now five years on, their seventh full-length arrives in the form of ‘Lost on You’.
Across its 11 tracks, the quintet, now completed by guitarist Mark Lebiecki, aim to reflect on how the past continues to affect the present, no matter how much you try to move on. Straight away, ‘it’s ok’ sets the reflective foundation as Walsh opens with “I am tracing the roots of an old growing pain”. Joined by just Collins, it’s a brief, lo-fi acoustic introduction before ‘Primary Colors’ bursts into life. Here, Brianna and Ben trade vocals. Together, they build a contemplative picture of the numbing pain of something that’s no longer there. Tonally, it sets up the comfortable wall of sound that threads ‘Lost on You’ together.
Throughout, the quintet serve up a satisfying array of indie-emo melodies with ‘Head is Like a Sinking Stone’ and ‘Light Leaks Through’ highlighting Tigers Jaw’s urgent abilities. While immediate, they never take away the lyrical sentiment. The former thrives on the central refrain of “the time got away from me / the truth ran away with you,” being complemented by Lebiecki’s fuzzy riff. The latter goes deep into not recognising the person you once were, distorting memories. Walsh dissects the quietly destructive observation of change, finding acceptance along the way.
These anxieties are put to the forefront on the Collins-led ‘Anxious Blade’. Atmospheric verses with earthly drums allow Brianna to paint up imagery of being caught between a dream and real life, building to a sense of exhausted paralysis. It highlights her vulnerability, echoing ‘…Remember Me’s ‘Lemon Mouth’. Collins’ stand-out moment, ‘BREEZER’, allows her vocals to glide above spiky instrumentation, resonating with a hypnotic charm. Lyrically, she addresses her loss of confidence and the inability to commit to a version of herself. Meanwhile, Collin’s harmonious verses on ‘Staring at Empty Faces’ are worth pointing out.
As always, Collins and Walsh complement each other, both vocally and lyrically. Their songwriting can be seen as an inner monologue. For Walsh, it’s handling grief (see ‘Ghost’) and anxiety (as heard on the closing title track). As mentioned, Collins uses her platform to lift the weight of a fractured identity and lost confidence. As a pairing, they’re able to write lyrically fragile songs while being bridged together by personal uncertainty. When coated by a warm and textured musical blanket that is allowed to be sharp and harmonious, ‘Lost On You’ becomes an album that is repeatedly played.
Ultimately, ‘Lost on You’ is an album that doesn’t offer resolution so much as acceptance. Its titular finale brings this idea full circle. The punching percussion and jangly guitars complement the emotional release, emphasising Walsh and Collins’ personal growth. For all the doubt they have individually, and collectively, expressed, Tigers Jaw end ‘Lost on You’ with a feeling that is quietly resolved; “I am looking for peace until my lungs will give out, it’s ok.”
‘Lost on You’ by Tigers Jaw is released on March 27th on Hopeless Records.
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