A number of years back, I had started working at this warehouse pushing furniture around until the wee hours of the morning. Then, I’d go home, eat dinner (usually at or around 3:00 a.m.), go to sleep, and do it all again the next day. It was at this job that I met a dude who kicked me down a copy of Mother Tongue’s self titled album, and it, along with Mad Season’s Above, became the soundtrack for the summer of 1995. So, every time I hear a tune from this album, it takes me back to a simpler time. Working hard and playing hard. My concerns weren’t centered around mortgage payments, but around getting my drunk on. Man . . . there was a lot drinking in those days. Sigh. You can’t see me, but I’m smiling right now.
Mother Tongue is a gritty explosion of groove rock expelling from the sound system. They have a touch of funk. Dabble in hard rock a bit. Add a few metal moments . . . raise the horns. But, for the most part, Mother Tongue have their own sound. The darker, more brooding bastard cousins of Red Hot Chili Peppers? Perhaps. Yeah . . . let’s go with that for a spell.
From the opening notes of the wah’ed out guitar of “Broken”, you simply know that you’re listening to an album with balls. Quite a bit heavier than the funk rock that was groovin’ around at the time, but far from being so heavy that the soul is lost. The song has a great break midway through and features some beautiful blues guitar to accompany the soulful vocals. The bass line opening “Mad World” is the epitome of groove . . . your head will act like a buoy bobbing away in the ripples of a lake. The combination of guitar and uber-passionate vocals will send shudders through the body. Truly an amazing performance by all members of the band on this one.
“Vesper” opens with an acoustic guitar mournfully strumming away and a pair of cellos adding background texture and deeper emotion. Again, the vocals touch the soul with a rich raspiness and integrity only found from one who’s felt an intense kind of pain. With a minute and a half remaining, the band kicks in as a full unit and brings the track home. Remarkably intense and sweat provoking! Mother Tongue’s most interesting moments come when they incorporate varying levels of light and shade. “The Seed” is a dark, bluesy number that is carried by a smooth bass line and sultry vocals, but eventually explodes with a wall of volume to drive the emotion through the soul. This is another fantastic performance by every member of the band. Mother Tongue came and went way too fast, and it’s a damn shame because if they could have improved on this album . . . shit . . . I don’t think my emotions could have handled it. Listen to “Damage” on headphones and enjoy a wonderful experience in sound!
There’s no weak performance on this album and every song has something new to add. “Fear of Night” for instance, has the vocals switch from being soulfully charged and ventures into the realm of a darker, dare I say, demented David Byrne. It’s those little nuances that make Mother Tongue an edge-of-the-seat kind of ride. “Venus Beach” may very well be the most commercialized track and, in some ways, I’m surprised this wasn’t a huge hit in the mid ‘90’s. It’s got a great melody and some beautiful lyrics, yet stays true to the Mother Tongue sound. How did it miss? Oh right . . . no promotion, no radio play, no Mtv . . . the usual suspects keeping quality bands mired in anonymity. While the industry was busy trying to make us care about performers, the true artists were wallowing in the mire of apathy. Fucking injustice!
Racer mentioned a few weeks back about The Hatters’ Madcap Adventures of the Avocado Overlord album being the best album that you weren’t listening to in ’94. I’m here to throw another disc on that pile, which will inevitably continue to grow. Mother Tongue is rich in emotion, musical proficiency, attitude, soul . . . you name it, and it deserves the unbiased and loving attention of your ears. Who knows? As it has become for me, it may become the album that defines some of your fondest memories for years to come. - Pope JTE
Buy here: Mother Tongue
www.myspace.com/mothertongue
Buy here: Mother Tongue
www.myspace.com/mothertongue
A bit of an apology must go out right now, for after penning this review, it was brought to my attention that Mother Tongue is still around and as vital as ever. Check 'em out . . . you won't be sorry!
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