It’s fair to say most of us are cycling through a lot of moods right now during quarantine; anger, fear, boredom, and occasionally hope. While our anxiety runs rampant and the apocalypse looms, Billy King & the Bad Bad Bad have a new single being released to help everyone process what a shit show the world is right now.
The band’s upcoming single, “Tiger’s Den,” takes the band’s signature ‘surf-rock from hell’ style, and gives it a rougher, country-style twist.The track’s greatest strength lies in the narrative it lays out, creating a compelling and interactive story within a song. Through the song’s non-linear lyrical setting and immersive soundscape, the single taps into Billy King’s signature sound.
The winding and anticipatory track begins to build and crest before vocalist, Will Reynolds, launches right into a twangy howl filled with bravado. Reynolds speaks in a cinematic but commanding manner, regailing of past days spent in the Tiger’s Den with an old flame. His voice provides a brief exploration into the story the band is telling, without commandeering the narrative.
In many ways the song reads as a love ballad, but the band replaces the typical lust and loneliness found in love songs with a sense of urgency. Guitarist, Cameron Wren, and bassist, Mike Sellman, really help set this tone in place. The guitar interludes add in a nice call to action, giving the listener space to take in the music and decide where exactly they would place themselves within the world the song presents them with.
“Tiger’s Den" helps make those weird, frantic trips to the grocery store, a rebellious adventure in a post-apocalyptic spaghetti western. Tie that bandanna around your face and let the music take you over in your search for paper towels and oat milk.
-Avril Carrillo