Aural Fixations

TIGER MOUNTAIN
Get Along Like a House on Fire
(Kismet/Lucky Cat)
Tiger Mountain plays rock & roll—not a kind of rock that requires a prefix, but a timeless amalgam of rhythm, melody and energy that's classic in every sense. The no-nonsense guitar hooks, rough-hewn harmonies and plainspoken songs should play wide not because the NYC quartet tries to appeal to everyone, but because they should appeal to anyone. This is rock & roll that could slide onto the radio next to the Rolling Stones, the Replacements, the Black Crowes or Big Star and feel like a natural progression. The debut Analog Heads Gone French was a tight, tuneful confection that served notice of Tiger Mountain being a band to watch, and lo and behold, its follow-up Get Along Like a House on Fire fulfills the band's promise in spades. Interestingly, the group scales back its energy level just a smidge—bassist Dean Rispler and drummer Aaron Conte don't barrel forward so much as stride confidently, and guitarists Tyler Lehane and Mike Jackson also exhibit a bit less urgency. This isn't because the musicians are getting lazy and enervated; it's simply a way to shine a brighter light on the tunes. And that's what the point of Tiger Mountain is and what makes it stand out from the pack of its fellow travelers. Songwriters Jackson and Lehane strike that perfect balance between craft and soul, intelligent pondering and no-brainer rocking out, with an ease and grace that should make them the envy of its peers. Full-on rock powerhouses like "Superintendent #9," "Shouldn't Be Long" and "The Occasion" comfortably share space with thoughtful pop tunes like "Century's Gone," "Overtime" and "Just Like You," all played with taste and verve. The record also contains unapologetic, heart-on-sleeve balladry; Jackson and Lehane put some acid into their confessions with the tart acoustic showcases "You're All Right" and "She Played Me Too," not to mention the deceptively sweet, electric piano 'n' e-bow-laced "A Good Lie Down" (as in "You can't keep a"). Only the brief electronica experiment "Hold On to Planet Earth" fails, simply because its style trips like a ballet dancer in a honky-tonk here. But it's barely a minor digression, not harming the album's integrity one whit. There's so much to love about Tiger Mountain, and it's all shown off on Get Along Like a House on Fire, where the guitars bang happily and heaven is just a singalong chorus away. Michael Toland