Customer Reviews

Gravelled & Green

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Part of the Seattle music scene for almost six years, The Actual Tigers built a devoted following as Willis. They've lost their original drummer, but maintain and actually improve upon their original sound as a "new band" releasing their first full-length album. Fans will recognize three tracks of Willis' 2000 EP "Bourgeois Blues," the boisterous and lively "Bad Day," "Testimony," and "Bourgeios Blues." You might also recall the track "Standing By," featured on the soundtrack to Never Been Kissed. Two more tracks ("End of May" and the much-improved "Halfway House") are reworked holdovers from the band's self-titled debut from 1996, "Willis."

But wait, there's more! The Actual Tigers are already getting rave reviews and comparisons with everyone from Paul Simon to Bob Dylan. Their sound does reflect a bouncy, summery feel of great Simon tracks like "Kodachrome" and his Graceland album. Standouts on the album include the opening track, "Yardwork in November," and "On a Roll." Both carry you towards blue sky and sunshine. For a different sound, try the up-and-down groove of "Shades of Brown." All in all, not an album to be missed. Watch out for The Actual Tigers in the near future.

This is one of those albums that you can leave in the CD player and listen to over and over. Whether at work or as background music at a party, these guys are great. They unabashedly acknowledge their strong influence from Paul Simon. While everyone is being too serious, these guys are having fun.
Great to listen to and fun to see in concert. You will not regret buying this CD!

The Actual Tigers (artists formerly known as Willis) debut to the nation is a fun and well done project. Yes, they're reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel, Faces, and all the others mentioned, but yet standout as a new and talented band on the music scene. A fun album to blast on a sunny day while driving along, or grilling up food on the bbq in your backyard. Now they just need to tour soon!

I'm going to show my age here (18) and say that I grew up with this album. It was played frequently in my Seattle household, alongside Paul Simon, Dave Matthews, Mark Knopfler, music that I could refer to in conversation and hear on the radio. But no one has heard of Actual Tigers, there are no lyrics on the internet, Amazon doesn't even sell it. Well, one song was once randomly played in a Ruby Tuesday's outside of Philly, but other than that I don't think local Seattle stations even give the Actual Tigers air time.

Why? I LOVE this music! It's taken a while for me to grow up enough to gain my own taste and judge it outside of its role as the soundtrack to my childhood, and I still really really like Graveled and Green. The musicianship is fantastic, the production beautiful and crystalline, rhythms and melodies intricate but catchy, and the lyrics are quietly intelligent but incredibly easy for me, at least, to relate to. (I COULD write a long book about time and space.) The upbeat songs, (Bad Day, Standing By, Bourgeois Blues) make me want to dance, the slower songs (End of May, Yardwork in November) pull a tear from my eye when I'm in the right mood. It can be played passively in the background and stands up to close listening. And overall, Actual Tigers have this wonderful optimistic melancholy that I am not tired of almost a decade and dozens or hundreds of listens later. Please buy it. I hate to see this album go largely unnoticed.

If you have ever wanted to see Dave Matthews, Left Hand Smoke, and Paul Simon in one concert, you need to check out Actual Tiger's (formerly known as Willis) new release. They have Dave Matthew's heart, Left Hand Smoke's soul, and that tropical Paul Simon addition of instruments that wreck your mind! Yet, they have added their own flavor, one still to be named, that makes these guys stand out from the others. Besides amazing lyrics that you can FEEL, they have some of the best combinations of rhythm and rock that Seattle-based talent can offer. "Gravelled and Green" reminds the listener of somewhere we have all been and somewhere we want to go. It definitely runs the spectrum.

Just a great album, wrought with wonderful melodies and lyrics. Sometimes reminiscent of Paul Simon and even, I think, a touch of the Beatles on "The One That Got Away."

This is a rare band that reaches right into what it means to jetison music straight from your gut or your head. it's not aching to push someone over, but rather bowl them over slowly.

I think they're awesome and anyone would dig this album. I think there is a huge problem with how little their label is doing for them cuz they are simply too fantastic to not be heard on a large stage.

Simply an outstanding collection of literate songwriting played by three extremely talented artists. I know very little about this band, but from the moment that I stumbled on to this album I have loved it. Paul Simon-esque tunes are there trademark, but their bouncy, joyful style of playing is truly unique. A must own for fans of Wilco or Beulah, this an album that you can truly get excited about!

So you like music, huh? Good for you. Now buy this CD. It's cheap and good. Really, you can't ask for more than that.

Tracks like Standing By and Testimony will be the ones you hit repeat on, but there is far more to the album. Bad Day and On a Roll are a pair of my, I don't know, "lesser favorites." But aside from maybe two tracks on the CD I will listen to the entire album.

OK, so everyone wants to know what they sound like. Well, not much you've heard sounds quite like these guys. That's part of the draw. But if I had to say a type of music for these guys, I'd say Mellow Rock.

I first made a mixed CD with songs from the Actual Tigers, Jack Johnson, John Mayer, David Gray, and Ari Hest. Great disc. Still have it 7 years later.

This cd Rocks! However in response to comment about needing to tour with someone...they did. The Counting Crows. They were great live.

This is the album Paul Simon should have made after "Graceland". The lyrics get a little jammed up, much like Simon's, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Clean production too. They need an opening spot on a national tour, maybe next time Barenaked Ladies tour, or something like that.