Sophie (Chanko) Dare

LISTEN HERE:

https://open.spotify.com/album/4s589oPooC5sfvNfLyg2vL?si=hz9EaDgQT1WnUFElNJYAjw

A ragtag band of high schoolers is starting to make a name for themselves in the metro Detroit music scene, and I couldn't be happier about it. Tink and the Lost Boys hails from Northville, Michigan, and their gritty, pop-punk sound is infectious, with bouncy instrumentals, sweet guitar tones, and solid vocals.

Kicking things off is the track What I Need, which brings the energy with a bright riff, energetic drums, and a sort of spoken word verse in the middle. These songs were recorded and produced by Sam Lyon, a well-respected local producer here in Michigan, and I think the tracks are mixed very well throughout this LP.

Who Turned Off The Lights (featuring Sarah Poulos) has got to be my favorite song of theirs, hands down. It's got a moody, bluesy feel, and the female vocal feature adds a whole different flavor to it. Add some clever lyrics and haunting harmonies, and you've got a killer track.

Detroit Blues is a track that I've heard plenty of times at their live shows before, and it's always a hit with the crowd. It's got plenty of “hey”'s to shout along to, and basically, it's just a banger, enough said.

I don't know what pedal they're using for the guitar in Thoughts I Have When I'm Alone, but whatever it is, it sounds pretty sick. This is a more melancholy (do I dare call it emo?) song that repeats “I'm fine” in the chorus, but returns to say “but I don't know anymore”.

Sunflower Eyes is a break in the rock action for a cheerful, indie/folk leaning tune- fun fact, its lyrics are from a poem written by lead singer Jack Fulton's girlfriend Lauren.

Happy Little Neighborhood is an interlude of a series of “public safety announcements” that sound like they're straight out of the horror movie The Purge. It's edgy, but I'm not super sure where it fits in with the rest of the aesthetic of the album.

Phoebe is another standout track for me, with a killer bass riff that carries the whole song and gets stuck in my head constantly. This track in particular showcases the band's interesting and clever style of songwriting, which seems pretty mature and well-formed, considering that it's coming from high schoolers.

Hanging Tree is an intense one, with Biblical references to “the valley of the shadow of death” and the impending doom of winter. It's probably the heaviest rock song on the record, and it's done very well.

Change slows things down for the ballad of the album, with a mellow, acoustic, James Taylor kind of vibe.

Sentences closes out the record with a tune familiar to local fans of the band; it's been released since last year as a single, and even I know the words after seeing them play it a couple times live. It's fun and fast-paced, and captures the carefree energy that the band has while rocking out onstage.

All in all, this is a very solid first release from a relatively young band. I see tons of potential in them, and I can't wait to see where they go and what they do next!

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Follow the band on Instagram here!

Tink and the Lost Boys is Jack Fulton, Tristan Presley, Johnny McCormick, Nick Fites, and Noah Mueller