During World War II, the German Tiger tank was so colossally
destructive that Allied soldiers developed a psychological fear of it,
refusing to engage it in open combat. And while Matt Sheehy claims he
just likes the sound of the word, the title of his first solo album,
Tigerphobia, is a perfect analogy for the album’s themes of
turning gun shy after getting emotionally burned. The songs deal with
the dissolution of a musical partnership and the end of a romantic
relationship, but any fears and frustrations are challenged, and
ultimately beaten, by hope and discovery of the self.
It’s a beautiful album, on which every tune is spectacularly good;
the songwriting is potent, emotional, poetic, and engaging, with catchy
melodies and inventive arrangements. You’ll find yourself sharing it
with friends like a joyful secret, or singing it out loud in the car,
or putting a song on a mixtape for someone to whom you need to say
something important but can’t quite put it into words. Sheehy has done
the work of processing all the difficult emotions, and the
acoustic-based songs on Tigerphobia are the wholly pleasurable
result.
The record came about after the dissolution of Sheehy’s duo Gravity
and Henry. “[Bandmate Jarhid Brown] got married, and he really stopped
liking going out on the road, whereas I’ve always really liked it,”
says Sheehy. “We got offered a record deal, but then his wife found out
she was pregnant, so he just made the decision that he wanted to start
a family. We had put so much work into the band, but I wasn’t really
that upset. I felt like it opened up a lot of doors.”
Preceded by a prologue of piano and strings performed by Brent Knopf
of Menomena and Peter Broderick, “Go Missing” encapsulates the soulful
grace of Tigerphobia. An ascending plucked guitar is soon
layered with clicking, chirping sounds, and the song’s desolation turns
into affirmation as the gorgeous melodic phrases repeat and gain power.
Sheehy recorded it alone in a cabin, using furniture for
percussion.
“Right around the time that Jarhid and I stopped playing together, I
got involved in a relationship that ended when I started writing all
these songs,” Sheehy says. “It was a time in my life that was very
transitional. I moved to the coast for six months by myself and worked
in the woods [as a forester]. I know that sounds kind of sad, but it
didn’t feel sad—it felt really good. I didn’t really start
thinking I was going to make a record; they were quiet songs I was just
playing for myself. So a lot of those songs are about finding new
direction and working out the choices that you’ve made.”
Of course, Tigerphobia‘s not all feelings and self-discovery.
Many of the songs are influenced by science-fiction stories, including
“Dangerous Thursdays,” about a telekinetic girl, and “Top of the
World,” which was inspired by the haunted space station in 1972’s
Solaris, a Russian film that explores the themes of projecting
one’s ideals onto another person.
Tigerphobia—the first album on Sheehy’s own label,
Revolve Records—celebrates its release this Saturday, June 7,
with a number of Portland musicians, including drummer Drew Shoals,
pianist Matt Weiers, and singer Y la Bamba. But while it showcases the
Portland music community, Tigerphobia is good enough to
withstand any “local music” tag. It’s simply a terrific album, for
anyone, anywhere.