The Tags – I’m A Kid + Electric Roots

I’m A Kid Somewhere in this city, I wager there is a Hives fan who has finally got bored of Hate To Say I Told You So, having listened to it too many times. If you’re out there, I URGE you, and anyone who has a slight interest in catchy garage-band rock, to check out The Tags latest single, I’m A Kid. Really, the track delivers everything that’s so good about the genre – we have a simple yet catchy guitar riff, a buzz saw guitar solo with the tone of Oasis around Rock N Roll Star, and off course a danceable, fistpumpable, memorable chorus. Honestly, I can’t wait to throw my beer over the crowd when this starts up at the Cavern.

Electric Roots In it’s construction, Electric Roots by The Tags could be seen as a microcosm of British indie music for the last 10 years. The skulking introduction reminds me of the Arctic Monkeys, the opening clean-guitar chord especially reminiscent of Crying Lightning. The chorus however is a different beast, closer in kin to post-punk and stadium rock than the alternate sections of the song. It’s a pretty infectious refrain and one that feels rather familiar to the ear from the first listen.

The place in which The Tags succeed is with this notion of familiarity. There is a fine line between clear influence and being derivative, and The Tags operate on the correct side of this line. I liked the AM paralleling backing vocals that permeated frequently through the layering of the song, and the Franz Ferdinand esque-staccato of the guitar that bridges the chorus and verse. The synth continues to be a good addition to the band also, adding an extra dimension to the sound, shifting in and out of the track effectively. Overall, from a musical point of view, Electric Roots is very well put together.

For anyone who has any passing interest in recent British indie, I recommend giving Electric Roots a listen. I guarantee it will feel really quite familiar.