Premiere: Dancing Tongues, ‘Shotgun’

Kevin Bronson on August 13th, 2019

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Dancing Tongues is the collaboration between Alex Lavayen and Kevin Modry, who debuted in 2016 with their “Positions” EP and, using the post-punk and art-rock of the ’80s as their template, set about exploring more deeply the disconnect between modern life and basic human nature. That you can dance to their music is just a bonus.

Romance, artistic pursuits, the relentlessness of the New Media Age: All are topics on the table on Dancing Tongues’ forthcoming album “Hypnotic Tales of Sex and Distress,” made in Long Beach with producer Jonny Bell (Crystal Antlers, Hanni El Khatib, The Buttertones, Tijuana Panthers, among others). From the echoing guitar lines, urgent beats and decidedly magisterial vocals, the music is certainly hypnotic. But where’s the distress?

The first single “Shotgun” reveals some. It narrates the tug-of-war between romantic and creative pursuits — for instance, what if the person you thought was supporting you was really hoping you’d fail? “How was I supposed to know / you prayed my wishes would die slow? / And every shooting star I see / is just a kill-shot gunning down my dreams?” Lavayen repeats in the chorus.

“Relationships and creative endeavors are mercurial journeys that often refuse to acknowledge or cater to the needs of one another,” the band says. “‘Shotgun’ is a song about the collision between one’s personal life and their shared life. The story describes the balancing act of keeping a relationship intact while fully committing oneself to creative pursuits.”

With its tightly wound angst that fades to an unresolved, ominous finish, “Shotgun” reveals Dancing Tongues as one of the more compelling new post-punk kids on the block.

||| Stream: “Shotgun”