The first sound you hear on Acid Tongue’s new album Arboretum stirs with a Strokes like indie romp that is pure stylish chaos, then the LP jaunts into a glammy rock swagger with “Ordinary People” that marks a swaggering sound that rekindles The Lemon Twigs meets KISS. This band might wear its influences proudly yet the albums nine tracks are about as legit a visit through rock’s most splendid errors via original tunes as there ever was.
Arboretum (due December 3 via Freakout Records), is indeed art glam-rock opus, part mixtape, this LP from Acid Tongue marks a significant step forward for a band well-versed in straddling the line between psychedelia and power-pop. Check out the LP in full, where Acid Tongue drops a riveting display that is a spot on curated album of twisted and contagious sound.
Acid Tongue has been productive over the past 18 months, self-producing the 10 new songs on their third album, Arboretum. Each song is a collaboration with some of the best and brightest in underground rock and roll. The laundry list of talent includes Los Angeles psych-garage staples Death Valley Girls on the hard rocking “Take Me To Your Leader;” Canadian singer-songwriter Calvin Love on the disco anthem “All Out Of Time;” Seattle freak-rockers Naked Giants on the introspective “Won’t Walk Back;” Freakout Records-siblings Shaina Shepherd and Smokey Brights on “Facts of Life,” “Rock & Roll Revelations,” and “Suffering For You;” and Brazilian artist Libra on the album opener “Home.” Beyond the credited collaborations, performers on the record include keyboardist Glenn Brigman of Triptides & Levitation Room, vocalist Matan KG (Paper Idol), bass guitarist Dustin Bookatz (Pearl Charles), and the band’s longtime string-arranger Philip Peterson (Haim, Taylor Swift, Portugal the Man).
Guy Keltner, the primary songwriter for Acid Tongue, took a rough couple of years and turned them into libretto. “I became incredibly depressed and started spending a lot of time at the Arboretum in Seattle. I had just moved home and was spending all day absorbing this diversity of plants and sounds at the park. I poured myself into writing some deeply personal songs, heavily influenced by the artists in my immediate orbit.” During the recording of Arboretum, Keltner was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and decided to get sober from alcohol. “Kicking booze helped me focus in the studio, but I needed help finishing this album. I was incredibly fortunate to work with musicians that I actually listened to and enjoyed. They individually elevated each song to be something beautiful and unique.”
