Tender Claws: Tear Him To Pieces
(Self-released)
Out Now
Tender Claws comes of age with Tear Him To Pieces – an EP brimming with beautifully executed musical and lyrical concepts, employing a dazzling variety of textures and styles to keep the listener transfixed throughout.
Rising star, singer, guitarist and songwriter Tess Corr has produced a string of promising singles as the mastermind behind Tender Claws and, ably supported by her hand-picked backing band, she really delivers with this, her most accomplished offering to date. Title track and opener, Tear Him To Pieces, certainly grabs attention with its portentous intro, brooding verses, powerful chorus, and furious, guitar-driven conclusion. Enigmatically steeped in mythology, this provides the perfect vehicle for Corr’s richly evocative voice and not inconsiderable talents as a musician, all underpinned by the unrelenting rhythm of Kurt Murphy (drums) and Sydney Lau (bass).
Twinge is a real departure, proving that being jilted may be very painful for the victim but can be a whole lot of fun for those listening to the resulting break-up song. Punky, spunky and deceptively upbeat, the track boasts a space-rocky electronic introduction and another distinctive, distorted vocal, displaying hints of early Nina Hagen quirkiness and Siouxie inflection. A splendid romp which promises to be a live favourite forever. The sharply contrasting and heartbreakingly emotive single, Spring Time Cull, is reviewed by LTW here.
Simultaneously introspective and outward looking, the atmospheric and beautifully produced Ersatz Life will strike a chord with most of us, as Tess examines the disconnection between humanity and the digital age world we live in – one that relentlessly overwhelms us with its pace, demands and distractions:
‘Took a photo but I’ll forget
The way it smelled, the way I felt
Always thinking about what’s next
I’m bored of this, need something else.’
A Promised Kiss delivers a spikily crunching slab of alt-rock that oozes sexual and personal tension, to bring an EP that announces Tender Claws’ arrival as an artist of the highest calibre to a suitably rousing conclusion. Blessed with an apparently overactive and unceasingly creative imagination, the technical ability to bring the rush of ideas to full musical fruition, and a band capable of delivering the finished articles in all their glory, Tess Corr has all the tools required to maintain the already impressive momentum.
Tender Claws Linktree
All words by Robin Boardman. More writing from Robin for Louder Than War can be found at his author’s archive.
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