Tallies - "Am I The Man"

The beauty lies in the deep cuts when it comes to late 80s/early 90s dream pop. Well, at least for me. Some of my favorite songs from the era are non-singles buried on classic records that often get overlooked by the general listening public. That’s not to diminish the well-earned praise accorded to those notable tunes, but the real treasures come after you do a bit more digging.

I know “Iceblink Luck” and “I Wear Your Ring” (along with the title track) are stone-cold classics from Cocteau Twins’ seminal 1990 release Heaven or Las Vegas. However, I’m most entranced by Liz Fraser’s vocal self-interplay on “Wolf In The Breast.” Similarly, it’s not the undeniably catchy “Here’s Where The Story Ends” or “Can’t Be Sure” from Reading, Writing & Arithmetic, the unforgettable debut from The Sundays. Instead, it’s the jangly, melancholic guitar chaos of “A Certain Someone” that I skip straight to when I pop the compact disc into my 2009 Honda Civic. Coincidentally (or maybe not so coincidentally), both of those songs find themselves at number 8 in the tracklisting on their respective albums.

“Am I The Man,” also fits snugly in the number 8 slot on Tallies’ stunning sophomore effort, Patina… proving that maybe numerology has a place in indie rock. More seriously, though, it provides more support to my theory that I gravitate towards dream pop deep cuts. The Toronto band creates a hazier, oceanic-like soundscape when compared to the more booming “Memento” that precedes it. The guitars shimmer and the band also scatters some softer auxiliary percussion elements throughout to help enhance the mood, as vocalist Sarah Cogan seems a bit more pensive and rueful in her metaphorical, winter-themed retelling of lost love. Amongst a record filled with memorable tunes, it highlights many of the band’s well-refined strengths.

You can listen to “Am I The Man” below.

Patina is out now on Kanine Records in the states, on Hand Drawn Dracula in Canada, and on Bella Union in Europe. You can order a copy on limited edition vinyl via Bandcamp and stream it on your platform of choice. Keep up with the band by following them on Instagram.

Tallies will be performing in New York City tonight at Berlin Under A as part of Couch Prints October residency. In addition to Couch Prints, they’ll be joined by Flossing and Sylmar. Get your tickets here.