Tigermilk

Tigermilk was the end result of a vocational school’s class project from B&S leader Stuart Murdoch. The album’s initial pressing of 1,000 on their own Electric Honey Recordings in 1996 quickly sold out and became a much sought-after collector’s item as the band’s critical reputation subsequently grew. It was re-released in 1999 and confirmed all rumors of the Glasgow group’s superior melodic instincts. From the opening shuffle of “The State I’m In” with Stuart Murdoch’s earnest, childlike, mournful croon, the band were set to redefine the meaning of “Twee Pop” for an entire generation. Imagine Donovan tickling Nick Drake’s funny bone with nods towards the orchestrated pop of the High Llamas and a random skiffle craze or two. “Expectations” jams a brass accompaniment into its cramped quarters (the album was recorded in a rushed five days). “She’s Losing It” soft-shoes love through a Parisian rain shower.  “Electronic Renaissance” shuttles over to dense synth-pop, while “I Could Be Dreaming” uses a garage rock crudeness to pine for the youthful days of old that “We Rule the School” recalls with gentle empathy.