Well, I’m no Phillip Mylnar, but this week my playlist has included Jeru The Damaja, Biggie Smalls, Black Sheep, Mad Cobra, and Shabba Ranks and when the new Broken Tounges album Crooked Skyline exploded through my speakers, I immediately loved their unique style of live band hip-hop.
The album opens up with Christie Chambers’ soulful and powerful voice inviting us in, singing “Take my hand I’ll show you the way…” to an energetic blend of hip-hop, jazz, rock, funk and soul. The six members of this group bring unique backgrounds to the table, blending it all into 83 and a half minutes of funkin’ hip-hop power with instruments, samples, singing, turntabalism, and lyrical flow all fitting together like pieces of a puzzle.
From start to finish the album makes you move and the band brings a dramatic element to the hip-hop beats, allowing Broken Tongues to explore the outer reaches of their musical range. The whole album is great for bumping with the windows down, without having to offend the soccer mom next to you. There were a few songs that particularly stood out and will stay in rotation: The sexy first track “The Way,” the San Diego boardwalk, sunny day deceleration of confidence, “Dimes in Dollar Stores,” and the emotional and spacious last track “Sunrises” that features a hard edged rock-fueled drive that will make any candy kid go “BOOM!”
Broken Tongues’ CD Release Party will go down at Cervantes Other Side on Friday November 4th and I cannot wait to see these guys live! I wouldn’t expect it to be anything other than a sweaty, freaky good time.
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