Altsounds - My Tiger My Timing - I Am The Sound [Single]

By naming themselves after an Arthur Russell song, this South London quintet promise exquisite art-disco, aimed as much at the head as at the feet. On this outing, their second single, they are getting there but don’t quite hit those heights.

'I Am The Sound' is a likeable blend of the ‘pops’ of electro and indie, with skittering drums and rhythm guitar giving some vigour behind the breezy synth lines. Anna Vincent’s vocals float over the top, taut but never colourless. The song gives off a warm, jaunty funk vibe that makes the whole feel like Hot Chip’s younger cousin proving they’re ready to join the family business. But sadly despite this, ‘I Am The Sound’ remains a tad too unmemorable. It needs more depth and hooks, and less restraint, to deliver a one-two combination punch to the brain and to the hips.

“We are walking along the same road / I’m not trying to follow you” sings Anna on the chorus. Given the dominance of 80s referencing electro-pop currently, it’s difficult not to feel there’s too much following going on here. There’s a freshness to My Tiger My Timing on this single but not enough else to set them apart. I’d love to hear them stretch away from the pack and really live up to their name and their promise.