The Speaking Tongues - The Speaking Tongues (Independent)

Toronto definitely produces it’s share of great garage/blues/punk duos, bands like The Soupcans , catl and The Speaking Tongues ranking among the best of late. I haven’t heard anything from The Speaking Tongues since their sexy split 7” a couple years ago with Detroit’s The Rue Moor Counts. Goddam, the first full length by these dudes was well worth the wait! This gritty dimebag of scorching stompers has the blues foundation down solid. Sparse and punchy as early Black Keys , the train starts rolling with John Lee Hooker style road boogie of “Can’t Take It”. Second gear torques up the slide-nasty song of the damned “Hell Down Below Me” it’s huge, highway demon swing gives way to harp-laced stomping of “Bad Man”. The pace picks up like we’ve hit a big, flat stretch of road on “Trouble”.. a bit more desert boogie can be seen, bringing up some early ZZ Top to the boogie, maybe a Thorogood lick or two before pumping the breaks a bit on the slow-burn of “Cryin’ Shame” and “She’s My Girl”.
The pace picks up again on the explosively driving jam of “Gettin’ Funky” which carries shades of Houndog Taylor under a Stooges – esque power drone and vocal sneer. “Karma Blues” is a gang vocal heavy one-two punch of sludgy slide-core, then penultimate closer “Sugar In My Coffee” carries us away in dank, slow bang metallic blues. A coda of lo-fi acoustic guitar and harp “She Still Just Don’t Care” brings it all home.
Earnest, hardcore and totally driving, The Speaking Tongue’s first full length carries with it all the weight and grit of the Mississippi Delta where it was recorded. Hard as fuck road blues that will make happy any fan of early Black Keys, Bob Log III or old ripped bluesmen like Joe Hill Louis or Hounddog Taylor.