Tigers Jaw was formed in 2005 in Scranton, PA by high school friends. After a brief hiatus in 2013, the band is once again carefully crafting and delivering a sound that is equal parts upbeat angst and mellow moodiness. The current lineup, consisting of Ben Walsh (guitar, vocals), Brianna Collins (keys, vocals), Mark Lebiecki (guitar), Colin Gorman (bass), and Teddy Roberts (drums), are carrying the last two decades of musical development into a new era for the band. The result of that experience and knowledge is their seventh full length album, Lost on You. Notes from the band state that “these songs are portals taking us between different parts of the band's life and even our own lives, showing us how we can understand time not as a linear narrative but as something that is all real and knowable at once.” The full version of this LP will be released on March 27th, 2026 on Hopeless Records.
The album commences with an acoustic track called “It’s ok.“ This seemingly simplistic tune immediately tells me that there is going to be depth to these lyrics that commands my focus. Although it only lasts for a little over a minute and a half, I’m already impressed with the songwriting and harmonies. Upon realizing how this song comes into play later was something that I thought about for days afterward.
“Primary Colors” is up next and transports me back to my youth as it is very reminiscent of old Vagrant bands, like The Anniversary. The gradual build of the different harmonies was breathtaking and the use of dual lead vocals is an art form that few bands master. This song was so euphonious that it first masked the haunting lyrics contained within it. “You are the pain of a phantom limb. I felt in blue and red.”
I was drawn to “BREEZER” initially, because it contains my name in the title. However, the substance of the song kept me there and made it my favorite on the album. It highlights the lilting voice of Brianna Collins and feels like a “coming of age” song or perhaps more of a “coming to terms with age” song, depending on where you are in life. Collins explains it as “the ebb and flow of insecurity, doubt, and escapism, and my gradual acceptance of the cyclical nature of these feelings.” I’m quickly running out of synonyms for beautiful to describe this album, but this song is indeed, beautiful.
This LP ends with “Lost on You.” After I had listened to the entire album a few times and got a feel for the lyrics, I realized that they end the last song and the first song with the very same lines, but maybe not necessarily meant in the same way. “I am looking for peace until my lungs will give out, it’s ok.” I can only think of a handful of albums to attempt something like this and even less that were successful.
It’s funny that I’m writing for SPB as a way to expand outside of the PA music scene and yet I randomly picked an album of a band from my Keystone state. Although, I am a bit ashamed to admit that I am late to the party, TIgers Jaw is everything that I love about music. They’re melodic with strong rhythms and they seamlessly and effortlessly exchange lead vocals. I’ve always said that the best songs take advantage of those 3 minutes to tell the listener a story. With Lost on You, every song was a chapter that combined to create a well thought out novel in album form. The result seems to be something deeply personal and relevant to their real lives, yet also mirrors those experiences and emotions back on ourselves.
