Tigercub – The Perfume Of Decay | Album Review

After the successful release of their last album alongside receiving public endorsements from Pearl Jam and mammoth tours with the likes of Clutch and Eyehategod, one would assume Tigercub would be approach their third record with glamour aplomb. Instead, they’ve retreated inside and have hushed the curtains.

The Perfume Of Decay – the band’s third full length and their first released via Loosegroove Records, the label co-founded by Pearl Jam’s Stone Gosaard – is something that can be described as a product of indulgence from the band. Recorded and written in the dead of night, the record as a whole aims to mirror life under the moonlight; a peculiar time where one’s mental psyche unfurls, the silent subconscious becomes vocal and where vices can be appeased. Of course, a band of Tigercub’s stature and sound channeling the power of the night isn’t exactly a new proposition – lord above knows just how many alt-rock bands have been inspired by the dark – but what makes this record stand out in it’s field is just how damn good it is. Void of stereotypes and thankfully baring none of the indulgence aforementioned within it’s sound, The Perfume Of Decay is Tigercub’s finest hour to date.

Beginning with the droning interlude of ‘Dirge’ prior to delving into the fuzzed-out contents of the title track and gloomy yet swaggering ‘Show Me My Maker’, the band instantly establish the thematic themes of the record with total ease. Nocturnal in aesthetic and roguish in delivery, these tracks just radiate a sense of dusk-lit slyness that’s once again in thanks to Tigercub’s musical diverseness. Much akin to their previous bodies of work – 2016’s Abstract Figures In The Dark and 2021’s As Blue As Indigo – The Perfume Of Decay is a record that bares the hallmarks of alt-rock, neo-grunge, stoner metal and more without ever committing fully to a singular genre nor style. However, what separates this from their previous outings is their delivery and how such genre motifs constructed.

If Blue As Indigo was their sun-bathed summer release, The Perfume Of Decay is Tigercub’s gothic arc. With their brooding approach, melancholic lyricism, and their vicious, booming riffs – some of the band’s most maximalist and densest to date – the tracks aforementioned and proceeding likes of ‘Swoon’ and ‘The Dark Below’ sound positively macabre when compared to the band’s previous work. In fact, whilst none of the tracks are openly hostile, there is a sense of shadowed animosity present. Even ‘Play My Favourite Song’, the album’s radio-ready hit plays witness to this dark aesthetic.

However, Paradise Lost this isn’t. In vein to the band’s musical eclecticism that has always been present, this is still a Tigercub record through and through and by no means whatsoever will this alienate existing fans or listeners. Instead, much like their 2021 record tentatively, softly toyed with motifs of indie-rock, The Perfume Of Decay incorporates the band’s new focus on all things shrouded with meticulous accuracy. All that makes Tigercub distinctly them, from the alt-rock swaggerings, effortless hooks and bombastic overdriven leads are all present, yet infused, emboldened and simply bettered with this sense of subtle Gothicism.

However, what does separate this record from it’s peers in Tigercub’s discography is it’s production. Frankly, this is the band’s best produced record to date. An in-house job, frontman Jamie Hall has done a phenomenal job in drawing out all of the nuances and intricacies in this record, ensuring their inclusions are appreciated to their fullest extent. In fact, such a production also allows new and original textures in Tigercub’s soundscape take centre stage. ‘You’re My Dopamine’ and ‘Shadowgraph’ see the band introduce elements of shoegaze in a way that’s masterfully done and the more sombre tracks such as ‘We’re A Long Time Gone’ – a track sounding akin to Blur covering The Cure whilst wallowing in the existentialism that only 4am can bring – bares further witness to this. The brilliant dichotomy between tenderness and brutalism present within ‘It Hurts When You’re Around’ – one of the best songs the have released to date – only adds highlights such a fact to an additional degree.

In all, the monolithic rise of Tigercub may be somewhat mystifying to those unacquainted with this band, but with this record, it should be crystal to see why this band have been awarded with spoils from their offset. Full of intricacy and style to a degree that challenges their public perception as a simple modern grunge band, not only does The Perfume Of Decay see Tigercub incorporating even more elements and stylistics into their creative offerings, it also see’s them at their best.