Mother Tongue

From page 82 of Classic Rock Magazine April 2004



Cover of April 2004 issue.
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‘Ghost Note’ (Nois-O-Lution) The fact that key Mother Tongue member Jesse Tobias was briefly a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers many moons ago may be enough to spark interest in this Los Angeles-based band, but how long that interest is maintained is of course questionable.

Flying under the banner of ‘classic rock’ (well, there’s a good start), this Texan quartet are intent on delivering 70s-style rock, merging funk and soul with punk power chords and raffish riffs; they also venture into MOR territory, and quite frequently skirt around the periphery of tame and lame. ‘Dark Side Baby’ is admittedly old-school cool, but the feeble funk of ‘Coming Home’ is more pebble rock than the desired stoner sound they were doubtless striving for. The almost convincing swagger of ‘The Storm’ and the punk edge of ‘Helicopter Moon’ (although devoid of any contemporary credence) aren’t entirely without promise, but by the time you’ve weathered the insipid likes of ‘Alien’ and the suitably empty ‘The Void’ (no pun intended, obviously), Mother Tongue’s fortune has faded.

★★★ ★★ Rosanna Slater

The Bronx
Can you






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