Tiptoe Giants are a three-piece musical group from Sydney, Australia. The band has released one album and three singles to date, and their new single "Rainbow World" is one of their best songs yet. Apart from featuring some delightful vocals, the music is original, captivating and quite beautifully arranged.
The song features minimal but effective use of percussion throughout, providing suitable space for the vocal arrangements to really shine. The vocals remind me a little of Kate and Anna McGarrigle in "Complainte pour Ste-Catherine", in that they are as clear as crystal and highly melodic.
The colourful lyrics take the listener on a musical journey, where the subject matter throughout the song is colour coded. For example, the bus they depart on is green, the school is yellow, and their pyjamas are red. There is also a clever hypnotic refrain used throughout, inviting the listener to embrace this 'rainbow world' through the simple line 'come colour the world with us'.
The song is very much in the cumulative tradition, using progressive additions throughout. It would probably be a popular song to sing around the campfire with friends. The song continues to add colour on this lively musical journey, culminating in the chorus, which informs us that the world we inhabit, is indeed a rainbow.
Towards the end, the song cleverly shifts gear to finally reveal itself as a song about diversity. The lyrics encourage the listener to always have an 'open mind', and to fully embrace life, as 'there are always beautiful rainbows to find'.
Tiptoe Giants have huge potential, and on this form, you will certainly be hearing a lot more from them in the future. Their music is delivered with subtlety and imagination, and I’m sure it would be hugely popular in schools. Perhaps most importantly, they have managed to tackle a complex topic, with a sweetness and lightness of touch that can only make you smile.
Tiptoe Giants – changing the world one step at a time.