From the beginning, the members of
Tangiers show that they're quite legitimate in wanting to be part of the coalition that is doing its best to save rock & roll at the beginning of the 21st century. And that feeling of great rock & roll never lets up during all 13 songs incorporated into
Tangiers' release entitled
Hot New Spirits. Utilizing a classic rock sound reminiscent of
the Rolling Stones and some sparse D.C. indie rock influences like
Q & Not U (the D.C. scene was always heavily influenced by a lot of that '60s and '70s rock anyway),
Tangiers keeps the energy up, the sound just held together enough so as not to spin out of control with aggressively jangly guitars pumping out the tunes the whole way. The vocals may not be as memorable as those that came from
Mick Jagger, but they hit all the notes just right and the underlying potential is certainly there. Pumping in some keyboards on some of the tunes and the occasional handclaps only help season the band's sound. In the end, with the myriad of bands trying to revitalize '60s and '70s rock,
Tangiers may come across as sounding a lot like many of the more classic rock bands of the day, but the group is certainly capable of bringing its own talent to the table and showing a good time in the process. ~ Kurt Morris