Brooklyn psych-pop act Color Tongue released their debut LP, Sprouts, in 2016, a psychedelic labour of love born from a keen DIY mentality. Indeed, the entire album was recorded and mixed between the band’s practice space and bedrooms in a matter of days, and the sheer enthusiasm and energy shone through in the music. As our friends at GoldFlakePaint described in their premiere of the record, Sprouts was “sharp, valiant, and often far heavier than you’re initially expecting […] A defiantly audacious effort, with a razor-sharp wit always ready to leap in to a view.”
Well, fast-forward two years and Color Tongue are back and ready to rock once more with a brand new EP, Bealing Bells. True to form, the band have woven a psych-pop tapestry, drawing upon the likes of Animal Collective and Yeasayer to produce something that positions itself on the right side of weird. You’ll have to wait until later this summer to hear the whole thing, but we’re very happy to present the first single, ‘Adult Lessons’, to whet your appetites.
The song begins bright and shiny, glittering with an early morning sparkle before kicking into an assertive rhythm, and this style marks the track as a whole. Because, while the song becomes more energetic and lively, the dreamy aesthetic is never punctured, forming something of a wild carnival ride through a series of equally colourful landscapes. That said, there is also a slighter darker and more fierce side to this track too, an unsettling dimension that lurks within the lulls and eventually builds into the final crescendo.
Bealing Bells will be released this summer, so be sure to keep an eye on the Color Tongue Bandcamp and Facebook pages for more information. the band are also heading out on tour, so check the dates below and be sure to show your face if they are calling anywhere near you.
6/21 Port Chester – Garcia’s
7/8 Brooklyn Tape Release show at Elsewhere
7/13 Brooklyn Brooklyn Bazaar
7/17 LA – Offbeat Bar
7/18 Fullerton – The Continental Room
7/19 Santa Cruz – The Crepe Place
7/20 San Francisco – Hemlock
7/21 Oakland – Octopus Literary Salon
7/22 Fairfax – Peri’s
Artwork by Daniel Schmatz