Toy Tiger is a band from Vancouver that labels itself as street rock. That was pretty much all I knew about this project when their new record Meow Sabotage from my favorite label, Street Rats Records, landed in my hands. The band’s name and the cat-themed artwork gave me no real clue what to expect. And honestly—if people really do divide into „dog“ and „cat“ types, I’m definitely a dog person, with a natural distrust of cats. Although, thanks to my kids, a cat somehow recently appeared in our house and decided to stay despite my disapproval..
The band has been around at least since 2019, when they released their first demo recordings. In 2023 they followed up with Take A Trip On The Tiger Side (which completely passed me by at the time). Meow Sabotage is thus their second full-length album. On first listen, I couldn’t quite describe what I was hearing. A mix of punk, glam, and rock’n’roll with a peculiar atmosphere might be a decent attempt at a description—but it still doesn’t really capture it. What’s certain is that the record doesn’t shy away from mood shifts, and it’s packed with different influences. More than once I found myself wondering if I was still listening to the same band, since the fourteen tracks bring such a wide range of inspirations.
Some songs almost beg for comparison to specific bands. „Pyromania“ and „Cartoon Violence“ remind me of Scandinavian rock’n’roll outfits like Hellacopters, or the more punk-driven Turbonegro. „Crimes of the Heart“ instantly brings up Britpop vibes—maybe because of its overall sound, maybe because of the lyrics. „Lewd With You“ is a great, catchy ride. „Destroyer“ strongly evokes Misfits—if someone told me it was a lost 1995 recording with Glenn Danzig on vocals, I might actually believe it. „Trust Issue,“ which the band recently released as a video, feels like the track that best fits the street rock label.
Midway through the album, the band slows things down with „Last Rock’n’Roll Gang“ and „Do You Wanna Ride With Me,“ both carrying a slight country flavor. The next three songs speed things up again, and the album closes with „Friendship,“ which has an almost pop-like chorus.
The lyrics are unconventional and refreshingly free of clichés, though they’re open enough to leave interpretation to each listener. They oscillate between bittersweet romance with the poetics of dark comics and a critique of society at the other extreme. The entire album is permeated with the smell of burnt tires from street riots and battles with the hated police. All the lyrics are included in the booklet, which I really appreciate. All in all, this is a very unusual yet excellent record that blends a wide variety of influences. The band clearly carved out its own unique style here, and the result is one of the most surprising and interesting releases I’ve heard this year.
And by the way—after listening to it, I even stopped kicking our cat off the couch. So yeah, it must have had an effect on me. Meow.
TOP TRACKS: Destroyer, Cartoon Violence, Friendship
Bandcamp: https://1url.cz/wJDDE
