Artist Review: The Tontons, Make Out King and Other Stories of Love
Artist: The Tontons
Album: Make Out King and Other Stories of Love
Genre: Shoegaze Blues Rock
RIYL: Lauryn Hill, Portishead, The Breeders (I’m grasping at straws here because this is impossible)
I’m going to let you in on a little secret: you should get to know The Tontons before everyone else does. The release of Make Out King and Other Stories of Love could be the moment they break a little bit wider than their already growing fanbase. The Tontons are very interesting from a musical for one huge reason: I have no ready mainstream comparison to what this Texas-based quartet is doing in this time and with this record. Strains of classic soul mix with rock, pop, shoegaze, folk and blues to produce a sort of magic that sounds like everything and nothing else all at once.
Much of the credit for that can be given to the chameleon-like quality of singer Asli Omar’s unique vocal style, which is steeped in a sultry blend of R&B/jazz/rock loveliness. It’s fierce and feathery; smooth and tough. But Omar doesn’t work in a vacuum, and her instrument is one of many that The Tontons have going for them. Bassist Tom Nguyen, guitarist Adam Martinez and drummer Justin Martinez lay the intricate groundwork that with a confidence and sense of purpose that allows for Omar to experiment and lift the already-solid arrangements and instrumentation higher.
“Magic Hour” opens the album and sets the stage, providing a glimpse into what’s to come; a chance to get your bearings and open your mind and ears up a bit. But when “Pony” begins, it’s clear that the first track is far from an anomaly. There is such a pleasing quality to the harmonies that take center stage on this song, a velvet-tinged texture that ebbs and flows in a truly unique pattern. “Veida,” one of the lead tracks on this record, drives with an urgent rhythmic presence that punches at the edges of the Tontons’ sound, and that extra push pays off. It’s one of those tunes that feels radio-ready but completely unconventional at the same time.
It’s the entrancing “Kidd Cemetery,” however, that truly hooked me into this album. This is one of those songs that’s buried deeply into the folds of where the myriad of influences converges; it’s a little bit twisted and tortured, but feels honest and organic. It’s also a little less straightforward than some of the other tunes, and piques my interest with the creative potential it implies. It’s a little bit weirder, like the mesmerizing “Wild Kind.” They meander a little bit, and not in a self-aggrandizing way or an annoying jam band or bizarre-as-fuck mopey shoegaze moment. They are still true to who they are, while venturing off the reservation a bit.
Which makes the ultra-catchy “Bones 1” and blues-drenched “Bones 2” all the more interesting; flipping the switch to what can only be described as two pure and perfect rock and roll moments complete with classic guitar riffs and a wonderful vocal turn by Omar. The dreamy “Ruins” closes the album with an appropriately off-kilter lullaby that lets you down easy after taking you on the journey that is uniquely thrust upon you from this quartet.
The Tontons are clearly channeling all of their musical influences in harmony as a group; it’s true that Asli Omar is a magnetic force to be reckoned with. Her fierceness is felt on every track and it’s a performance that must be insanely rewarding as a listener in a live setting. The tracks on Make Out King and Other Stories of Love are truly interesting, and differentiate the band from their peers. This is weirdly wonderful and blissfully unlike anything else you will listen to. Discover them before everyone else does.
The Tontons website: http://thetontons.com/
(This originally appeared on Indie-Music.com at: http://www.indie-music.com/ee/index.php/blog/comments/review_the_tontons_make_out_king_and_other_stories_of_love)
Album: Make Out King and Other Stories of Love
Genre: Shoegaze Blues Rock
RIYL: Lauryn Hill, Portishead, The Breeders (I’m grasping at straws here because this is impossible)
I’m going to let you in on a little secret: you should get to know The Tontons before everyone else does. The release of Make Out King and Other Stories of Love could be the moment they break a little bit wider than their already growing fanbase. The Tontons are very interesting from a musical for one huge reason: I have no ready mainstream comparison to what this Texas-based quartet is doing in this time and with this record. Strains of classic soul mix with rock, pop, shoegaze, folk and blues to produce a sort of magic that sounds like everything and nothing else all at once.
Much of the credit for that can be given to the chameleon-like quality of singer Asli Omar’s unique vocal style, which is steeped in a sultry blend of R&B/jazz/rock loveliness. It’s fierce and feathery; smooth and tough. But Omar doesn’t work in a vacuum, and her instrument is one of many that The Tontons have going for them. Bassist Tom Nguyen, guitarist Adam Martinez and drummer Justin Martinez lay the intricate groundwork that with a confidence and sense of purpose that allows for Omar to experiment and lift the already-solid arrangements and instrumentation higher.
“Magic Hour” opens the album and sets the stage, providing a glimpse into what’s to come; a chance to get your bearings and open your mind and ears up a bit. But when “Pony” begins, it’s clear that the first track is far from an anomaly. There is such a pleasing quality to the harmonies that take center stage on this song, a velvet-tinged texture that ebbs and flows in a truly unique pattern. “Veida,” one of the lead tracks on this record, drives with an urgent rhythmic presence that punches at the edges of the Tontons’ sound, and that extra push pays off. It’s one of those tunes that feels radio-ready but completely unconventional at the same time.
It’s the entrancing “Kidd Cemetery,” however, that truly hooked me into this album. This is one of those songs that’s buried deeply into the folds of where the myriad of influences converges; it’s a little bit twisted and tortured, but feels honest and organic. It’s also a little less straightforward than some of the other tunes, and piques my interest with the creative potential it implies. It’s a little bit weirder, like the mesmerizing “Wild Kind.” They meander a little bit, and not in a self-aggrandizing way or an annoying jam band or bizarre-as-fuck mopey shoegaze moment. They are still true to who they are, while venturing off the reservation a bit.
Which makes the ultra-catchy “Bones 1” and blues-drenched “Bones 2” all the more interesting; flipping the switch to what can only be described as two pure and perfect rock and roll moments complete with classic guitar riffs and a wonderful vocal turn by Omar. The dreamy “Ruins” closes the album with an appropriately off-kilter lullaby that lets you down easy after taking you on the journey that is uniquely thrust upon you from this quartet.
The Tontons are clearly channeling all of their musical influences in harmony as a group; it’s true that Asli Omar is a magnetic force to be reckoned with. Her fierceness is felt on every track and it’s a performance that must be insanely rewarding as a listener in a live setting. The tracks on Make Out King and Other Stories of Love are truly interesting, and differentiate the band from their peers. This is weirdly wonderful and blissfully unlike anything else you will listen to. Discover them before everyone else does.
The Tontons website: http://thetontons.com/
(This originally appeared on Indie-Music.com at: http://www.indie-music.com/ee/index.php/blog/comments/review_the_tontons_make_out_king_and_other_stories_of_love)
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