Tigers & Flies (UK) - ‘Expanded Play’ (Album)

I finished the year with This Heel, the prolific Swedish outfit led by Martin Månsson Sjöstrand, and it turns out Manchester-based Tigers & Flies operate in a remarkably similar musical universe - one where sharp, shout-along Pop Punk tunes are balanced with deliberate, organised chaos.

They’ve recently released an album entitled 'Expanded Play', which helpfully does exactly what it suggests by combining a couple of EPs from the last few years. The result is a hugely enjoyable listen, with the band sounding like they're having an equally good time. Opener ‘Adaptive Release’ launches the album at pace with a jaunty melody and the distinct feeling that if it were played even slightly faster the whole band might collapse into a puzzled heap in the middle of the room.

Elsewhere, ‘Margate Itch’ lets the brass loose in a way that brings The Display Team to mind - not quite as feral, but sharing that same love of controlled disorder. ‘Walk in a Straight Line’ is an excellent title for a band who clearly have no interest whatsoever in doing that, while ‘Hulme Highstreet Ablaze’ gives me rare and joyful permission to shout “Cardiacs”, which of course is very much a compliment. There’s even room for something approaching conventional indie on ‘Enoch’s Hammer’, just to prove they can write a slightly more normal song if they really have to.

Most of all, 'Expanded Play' sounds like music written for a (small) stage, which brings us neatly to tonight (Friday 9th January) in the YES basement in Manchester, where the band promise some ‘new tunes’. There’s a chance I’ll be there, skulking at the back, provided I can successfully negotiate train times and at least 6 feet of snow. If Tigers & Flies sound half as fun live as they do on record, it should be well worth the effort.

Released on Violette Records, 3rd November 2025. Buy it on vinyl here.

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