Tiny Stills – Laughing Into The Void

Los Angeles power-pop outfit Tiny Stills may be simple in scope, but they’re out to do big things.  In a world of #metoo, front woman Kaylinn West makes clear that the band’s sugarplum sweet image doesn’t compromise their potential to empower and inform. The band’s latest full length, Laughing Into The Void, would be easy to dismiss as breezy pop, but taken as a whole, the band has produced ten songs that serve as a guide for developing healthy relationships with one’s self, potential partners, and friends.

On the surface, Tiny Stills blends the synthy melodic elements of Motion City Soundtrack with the airy jubilance of early-career Candy Hearts.  Each track is outwardly a joy to listen to, and there would be something seriously wrong with you if you resisted smiling along to the catchy hooks or witty lyrics.  Tracks like “Lala” are infectious in the best of ways, harnessing the power of choral whistling and an “oooo… la la la” harmony that quickly becomes a real earworm. Opener “When I’m With You” is a blissful little number that describes feelings of infatuation and affection with fun and relatable comparisons to riding space mountain at Disneyland and making “this modest mouse feel like superman.”

But there’s also room for learning from mistakes and transitioning through past relationships by looking for a “silver lining,” as per the reflective message and sensitive tempo guiding “Can You Blame Me.”  On a deeper level, “My Skin” takes a pseudo-acoustic approach, infusing violin-like strings for moments of vulnerability in descriptions of the subtle social anxiety hiding beneath nervous laughs at social gatherings.  “I wanna go home, what I really mean is I want to be sitting in a room full of people who don’t expect anything, I wanna feel good again,” sings the band in “Small Talk,” speaking to the universal need for belonging, away from the social stressors of public life.  The band is keen to explore layers of self-image and self-confidence, generating the very well rounded and empowering world that comes to a head in “Don’t Call Me A Catch.” “Don’t call me a catch, don’t compare me to all the rest, don’t tell me that I’m asking for it if I wear a dress,” sings West in what amounts to an inspiring feminist anthem that challenges girls to speak up against the normalization of society’s sexist objectification of them.  This is a powerful statement that one can hope will eventually be heard on radio waves across the country.

If I had a daughter, I would direct her at an early age to the wisdom and guidance fuelling Laughing Into The Void‘s positive message.  That being said, as a father of boys I connect no less strongly with the album as the messages conveyed by Tiny Stills easily transcends gender and should be heard by anyone looking to make healthy relationships in everyday experiences.  Tiny Stills has a clear vision with the charm and wit to pull it off.  For these reasons, Laughing Into The Void stands tall as an easy recommendation.