"look past it / oh, fantastic / it's almost like it never happened..."
The sweeping progressive pop ascensions of "Hollywood Ending" by Seattle based Acid Tongue feel instantly compelling. The magical sweep (for me) feels touched by the iconic 70's pop noir aesthetic of an iconic producer like Jeff Lynne of ELO that might have been seeded by earlier 60's producers like Ray Davies of The Kinks or the brilliant visionary Phil Spector and his signature 'wall of sound'. The ELO reference seems to fit best as Acid Tongue mines some amazing retro lead guitar textures. It also feels so incredibly nostalgic, so classic.
LINER NOTES (bracketed):
[Acid Tongue is an American garage band heavily influenced by classic soul, punk and psychedelic rock. Formed in a damp Seattle basement in 2015, the band immediately hit the road, extensively touring the US & Europe and refining their unique brand of rock & roll. Consisting of a core duo—singer/songwriter Guy Keltner & drummer/vocalist Ian Cunningham—the band also includes numerous touring & studio musicians scattered between Paris, New York, London, Mexico City, & Los Angeles, with a rotating roster that seems to grow larger by the day.]
Specific to the intrinsically personal, yet vast sound is singer-songwriter Guy Keltner's voice that has a throaty grit embedded in his storyteller's tone. It doesn't feel overly stylized but, to me, embraces a kind of earnest quality as if Keltner deeply means every word, every syllable. This may or may not sound odd but I thought of and amalgam of Neil Diamond / Ray Davies while listening in terms of sounding like the honest author, embellishing yes but only to tell truths. AND I find the aesthetic so incredibly inviting and evocative. "Hollywood Ending" is from Acid Tongue's new record "Acid On The Dancefloor", (love this title).
LINER NOTES (bracketed):
[The whole record, "Acid On The Dancefloor", is Acid Tongue’s childish take on adulthood. It’s about that moment of clarity you can find in the middle of a heavy trip. Each song is a different episode from a crisis, another reality check on the road to adulthood. In the last few years, lead songwriter Guy Keltner faced serious issues with drugs, alcohol, romance, family and friends. He developed a concept album around these various chapters in his life. It’s also about seeing the world for what it truly is as we age.]
[“These days, I am savoring the moment,” says songwriter Guy Keltner. “This song really exemplifies the peak of a confusing time in my life. I was seeking purpose and not finding it. I hope it can give comfort to people experiencing the same dull pain that comes with adulthood.”]
[“These days, I am savoring the moment,” says songwriter Guy Keltner. “This song really exemplifies the peak of a confusing time in my life. I was seeking purpose and not finding it. I hope it can give comfort to people experiencing the same dull pain that comes with adulthood.”]
Listen to "Hollywood Ending" with it's crystalline bells, Harrison-esque guitar ascensions, passionate storytelling and step into your own past memories whether they are in muted Polaroid colors or in black and white and dream. Swim in tears, break through shards of light and drive off into the sunset.
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://www.instagram.com/acidtongue
https://www.tiktok.com/@acidtongueofficial
https://www.facebook.com/AcidTongue/
Acid Tongue is an American garage band heavily influenced by classic soul, punk & psychedelic rock. Formed in a damp Seattle basement in 2015, the band immediately hit the road, extensively touring the US & Europe and refining their unique brand of rock & roll. Consisting of a core duo—singer/songwriter Guy Keltner (Fox and the Law, Mala Suerte) & drummer/vocalist Ian Cunningham—the band also includes numerous touring & studio musicians scattered between Paris, New York, London, Mexico City, & Los Angeles, with a rotating roster that seems to grow larger by the day. In 2015, Acid Tongue established their own label, Freakout Records, and in 2017 the band released their debut album, aptly titled Babies. The album is a soulful, stoney, heartfelt approach to modern psychedelia. Their 2020 sophomore album, Bullies, expanded upon the themes of their debut, cementing the band as the Pacific Northwest’s most unique garage-rock proprietors. For their third studio album, Arboretum, the band recruited veterans from the psychedelic rock scene during production, resulting in first-rate collaborations with artists such as Death Valley Girls, Naked Giants, and Canadian singer Calvin Love. Acid Tongue’s fourth full-length, 'Acid on the Dancefloor' (April 12), showcases their now signature sound and a back-to-basics approach to rock music. Incorporating elements of glam, R&B and post-punk, the album is a loud, funky and chaotic acid trip that redefines “the Seattle sound”.
Acid Tongue, Seattle, indie rock, retro rock, post punk, glam, soul, R&B, progressive pop, "Hollywood Ending", 4th full-length 'Acid on the Dancefloor', singer/songwriter Guy Keltner, drummer Ian Cunningham,
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