After six years releasing music as The Baker Family, this indie rock group has renamed themselves Young Tongue, and following the release of their EP earlier this year, have now produced their debut full-length album. The band consists of five members including wife and husband duo Liz and Stu Baker, Nathan Ribner, Daryl Schomberg II, and Travis Larrew.
There is a lot of guitar in the style of alternative rock. The vocals come from Liz and Stu, and their contrasting vocal delivery creates a dynamic experience. The best thing about their vocal composition is the flexibility; they alternate between their musical roles, at one point one can take lead and the other background, vice versa, and sing in a duet. Percussion surprisingly serves the role as setting the relaxed ambiance keeping movement consistent. There is an atmospheric quality to the music, and whimsy words are used in song titles and lyrics, but there is an edge to the aesthetic.
Starting off, “Horses And Whales” is pounding and features unique guitar lines, but ends on simple solemn piano and voice melodies. “RXNLA” gets into a groove quickly, and vocals between Liz and Stu can resemble call and response format, especially in its bridge. There are dynamic changes in “Birthday Rats” after a gloomy intro in which the song picks up energy almost instantly and then winds down at the final notes. Most whimsy in terms of lyrics is “Nickelodeon Dreams,” which mentions heirs, mad hatters, and thrones.
With this album, there is evident development of who they wish to be as a band. Essentially, this is an album that signifies a rebirth and transformation resembling what the group has gone through in real life. Here’s to hoping the next album to be a sort of “coming of age” for Young Tongue.
In A Word: Prospective
