Revol Archives #007: Tijuana Bibles - Ghost/Dance/Movement
As Tijuana Bibles prepare to return to the fray with a headline slot at the annual St. Luke's All-Dayer, here's a reminder of what we've been missing via a review of their debut E.P...
Note: In what could be called probably a "deep cut", this first appeared on Popped Music way back in 2015...
Tijuana Bibles first came to my attention at Stag & Dagger earlier this year [2015], turning in a raucous late night (early morning, to be pedantic) performance in the basement of the popular basement venue, Broadcast. Playing to a rather well-lubricated hometown audience, it was obvious that this was a band with something to offer and over the next few months, I harangued everyone and anyone who was going to T In the Park that they should make a point of checking them out in their T-Break stage slot. Festivals being festivals though, I contrived to miss half of that set, but there was enough in the short section that I saw to convince me that my original verdict of them as a band to watch was more than justified; it was a performance that cemented their status as one of the finest new acts in an already strong Scottish field.
A few months later, Tijuana Bibles look set to build on their momentum with the release of their second E.P., the 4-track Ghost/Dance/Movement. Kicking off with Apogee, it is obvious from the off that the band have succeeded in harnessing the energy of their live shows on record: swirling guitar lines and pounding drums build to a snarling, pulsing climax that captures everything that’s so good about the Bibles on stage.
Next up is lead single Ghost Dance, a track which showcases the band’s blues-rock leanings – loaded with swirling, scintillating guitar lines, it’s a sound that will inevitably draw comparisons with acts like Jack White and The Black Keys, but there’s a dirty, dangerous edge to Tijuana Bibles that sets them apart from such contemporaries. this is no more apparent than on Six To Midnight, a track drenched in the cocky rock’n’roll swagger that Glaswegian bands seem to excel in.
The best, however, is saved for last. Although Sun Chaser (also a single) is a little less intense than some of the band’s other offerings, the Mexicana-blues sound which characterises Tijuana Bibles is still very much apparent, wrapping its self around an instantly addictive vocal melody and guitar riff to produce a track that should propel the quarter in to the limelight. It’s the kind of song that will remain in your head and keep your fingers and toes tapping long after it finishes and will have you reaching for the repeat button many times.
With an extensive tour lined up after the release of Ghost/Dance/Movement – the band will venture as far afield as Russia and Ukraine – one would expect that Tijuana Bibles will continue to add to their burgeoning fan-base as they make their way around Europe. On this evidence, it’s only a matter of time before they make their breakthrough to the big-time.