Tin Armor

tracks:

1. Hold Me Back
2. Roof and the Rod
3. State of Things
4. Problems, Formerly Pleasures

7in $4

Tin Armor
MySpace

Story

There I was with a friend sitting a French restaurant on Park Avenue South trying to do decide what to do next. Should we go to the movies, should be go for coffee, or ï¿½Oh, hey the guys from the Merkurs new band is playing Tommyï¿½s tonight, if you want to head over to Brooklyn.ï¿½ Being a huge Merkurs fan we jumped on 3 trains and made it just in time to see Tin Armor hit the ï¿½stage.ï¿½ For those of you who have never had the privilege of visiting Tommyï¿½s Tavern, itï¿½s a dive bar with a terrible PA and a bad sound room in general. Even with all of those strikes against them the band managed to blow me away. I went up to Matt (drummer Matt) after their set and quickly traded American currency for their compact disc. After a few months of constantly listening to ï¿½A Better Place Than I Have Knownï¿½ (which you should purchase immediately), I wrote the band and said, ï¿½Letï¿½s do something together, whatever you guys want, it doesnï¿½t matter to me.ï¿½ This 7ï¿½ is what they came up with. Not too shabby guys, not too shabby.

Reviews

Jersey Beat review by Jim Testa

Tin Armorï¿½s A Better Place Than I Have Been may have been the most neglected CD of 2007, breaching the gap between pop/punk and indie-rock with smart, earnest, reflective, and utterly captivating tunes about the joys and sorrows of entering your 20ï¿½s. The addition of guitarist John Umland (brother of lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist Matt Umland) adds a little extra texture and depth to these four new tracks, a satisfying follow-up to A Better Placeï¿½s consistent excellence. ï¿½Hold Me Back,ï¿½ a bitter breakup song in which Umland tells his significant other ï¿½youï¿½re acting dumb as dirt these days,ï¿½ segues from a quiet anguished verse to a galloping Jawbreakerish chorus. ï¿½The Roof And The Rodï¿½ mixes poetic wordplay with pensive vocals and features a truly lovely bridge, while ï¿½The State of Thingsï¿½ opens with an almost Feelies-esque riff, as Umland looks into his heart to weigh the pros and cons between settling for a day job and a pay check or following his muse. Like Lemuria, another standout band that falls somewhere between punk and indie, Tin Armor confronts love and life and letï¿½s us watch as they try to figure it all out. I suspect itï¿½s going to be one hell of a ride.

Punkornothing.com review by Skankin' D

Discovering new bands is my new favourite hobby, and it makes it all the more rewarding when it turns out to be as thought-provoking and intelligent as Tin Armor. Being hailed by US critics, Tin Armor, from Ohio, are becoming somewhat darlings of the local underground scene, as their gradual ascent continues. Now, I know what youï¿½re thinking: but for once, the hype is deserved. I speak of their hype but in essence, they remain a band still firmly in the underground. Which is a dying shame because they could knock 90% of the indie poseurs currently inhabiting the scene straight off their pedestal. In this four-song EP, Tin Armor manages to caress the listener with layer after layer of undeniably beautiful melody that bands like Keane could only dream of. Very intelligent, considerably upbeat lyrics accompany a guitar led summery soundtrack, and it is pretty difficult to know how to label Tin Armor. They are very much interlinked with the sub-genre of indie pop but they also have that punk edge to them. When I say ï¿½punkï¿½ here, please do not immediately think of the Sex Pistols. The only modern band I can think of which could be compared to Tin Armor are Lemuria; Tin Armor exhibit the poppiest side of punk possible and manage to pull it off with aplomb. "Hold Me Back" must surely be the highlight of the album, with its quiet, slow build-up, before it bursts into a soaring chorus, yet it in no way puts the other songs into shadow. "State Of Things" has a definite melancholic feel to it yet still maintains its sing-along quality, whilst closer "Problems, Formerly Pleasures" has emotional content in bucketloads and it is the vocals which make this last track more than any other for me. The vocals astounded me by just how good how they were: confident, yet tender. This ep may have links to pop-punk but in no way should you now be thinking of the Manges, the Riverdales et al. This pop-punk is as far removed from that as possible, and is part of a growing trend of pop-punk bands to show more experimentalism in their work. (Think: For Science, Lemuria). Ramonescore is no longer good enough. This EP, however, remains excellent and deserves to be heard by all. For once: believe the hype.

Punknews.org review by Brian

Comparisons to Ted Leo and the Pharmacists and Smoking Popes' Josh Caterer were prominent in our review of Tin Armor's A Better Place Than I Have Been, and those similarities are certainly audible in their new self-titled 7". Tin Armor is, indeed, four songs of modestly played, semi-jangly pop-punk/indie rock, imagining Elvis Costello-via-Ted Leo melodies through a voice that bears stark resemblance to the aforementioned Caterer. There's a certain charm and sincerity to Tin Armor that's hard to pin down, but it tends to make up for the occasional blandness of the 7". The best song here, hands down, is opener "Hold Me Back." When singer/guitarist Matt Umland hollers, "But you're acting dumb as dirt these days!," it's an impassioned cry that resonates well. The rest of the EP is solid enough, though; closer "Problems Formerly Pleasures" recalls a Smiths-esque grandeur and lushness. Tin Armor is a decent little treat with a mix of influences that are curious and cool and somehow work.

Sound As Langauge review by Will Miller

As we impatiently wait for that new Smoking Popes album ( will it ever see the light of day?), it is comforting to know that Tin Armor have our back. I recently covered Tin Armor in the Band You Should Know category. Their 2007 album, A Better Place Than I Have Been was a brilliant starting point and this seven-inch keeps the bandï¿½s momentum going in the right direction. I am a sucker for bands in this mold and Tin Armor have the ingredients down to a tee. Clever, morose lyrics are twirled around melodic instrumentation and vocal harmonies so warm and cuddly you could lay with them for days. And frankly, thatï¿½s exactly what I did. With four songs clocking in at an all too brief ten minutes, this record begs to be flipped over and over again and again. The band brings to mind a wide range of artists/bands. From the jangle of Ted Leo (and his old band, Chisel) or the Dan Adriano-penned Alkaline Trio songs (or Adrianoï¿½s old emo/pop band, Tuesday), Tin Armor are riding a charming pop wave to perfection. Songs of doomed relationships never sounded so sweet.

Can You See The Sunset From The Southside?

Tin Armor is a band from Columbus, Ohio that (at least on this 7ï¿½) plays quick-stepped yet laid-back power pop with just a hint of pop-punk snappiness. This four song is a refreshing listen that has nothing even resembling rough edges (okay, maybe one) and is as far from aggressive as can be. Just imagine the smooth near-crooning of Anthony Raneri (of Bayside) backed by the upbeat jangle crunch of Ted Leo. You know, something like The Smiths on speed. Yeah. You can get the record right now courtesy of Whoa Oh Records. RIYL: The Smiths, The Thermals, other bands not named Tin Armor mentioned in the above paragraph, etcï¿½