PREMIERE: Tin Can Radio ‘Mosaic’ EP

Brisbane 4-piece Tin Can Radio are bringing true grit their to indie-rock with their latest EP ‘Mosaic’. The five-track release is a blend of Evermore’s moody lyrics and melodies, Coldplay’s anthemic rock style, and a whole lot of fresh attitude.

The EP opener Blind Paradise mixes soft rock with plenty of angst and heavy guitar riffs. The verse is reminiscent of early Coldplay (think anything from their 2000 album ‘Parachutes’) – a blur of summery guitar melodies, driving drum rhythms, and breathy falsetto vocals. By contrast, the chorus breaks into a brooding rock extravaganza topped off with electric guitar.

Each member of the band has a starring moment in Nautica. Minor chords play through the verses, building up a sweeping sense of melancholy. Frontman Tom Wearne shows off his versatility, bending his dreamy vocals to work with the subtle key changes. Meanwhile, the drum rhythms keep the energy up until the end where the guitar soars over the top with a heavenly high-pitched riff. A bass rhythm plays out the song – a classy, understated ending to an impressive musical offering.

Louie takes on a more psychedelic style than the tracks before it. A lazy lilting drum beat and dreamy guitar melody in the intro morphs into a driving rhythmic force in the first verse, and by the chorus has developed the song into a rousing dance track. Stripped of any percussion, the first half of the second chorus is like a reprieve, making the hustling rhythm that much more satisfying when it returns two lines later.

The aptly-named fourth track Blackstar is four minutes worth of pulsing movement and dark, brooding melodies. The drum rhythm is the conveyor belt that pulls the song along, but it’s the guitar riff that proves to be an instant winner and the perfect partner to the edgy chorus lyrics, “This caffeine withdrawal is burning little holes in my mind/I would sell my first born child”.

Closing track Tombs carries all of the emotive energy of its predecessors. A syncopated guitar rhythm fills out the verses perfectly, changing without warning as the chorus begins. The melody is just as unpredictable, sounding on the verge of a change at any moment. Tombs is an exploration of the full potential of the guitar, from its dreamy, atmospheric high notes through to its raw, growling lower range. Frontman Tom Wearne’s dreamy vocals are the icing on the cake, an ideal fit for the soft and slow as well as the rough and fast.

Tombs is an exploration of the full potential of the guitar, from its dreamy, atmospheric high notes through to its raw, growling lower range.

“We approached this EP with in a collaborative mindset, which was a slight evolution from our previous releases. It was more time consuming; collectively and democratically building the songs this way,” the band said.

“This being said, the overall process was less painstaking than what we’ve done in the past. Overall, I feel the songwriting had fewer f*cks given.”

In only five tracks, ‘Mosaic’ is proving to the world what the fans already know – Tin Can Radio are doing big things for lyrical rock.

Tin Can Radio ‘Mosaic’ EP Launch
w/ Big Bad Echo, Dinosaur Dreams & Death Tourism

THU 21 APR
The Brightside, Brisbane