So, a few years down the line from his previous project ‘Deltorers’; Nathan Evans along with bassist Jake Waters and drummer Arron Bennett embark on their latest chapter with this cinematic opus of 5 new songs. Under the new moniker of ‘Native Tongue’ we have quite a departure from Nathan’s previous outfit, one assumes time in Lockdown wasn’t wasted? We shall see…
“Crow’s Nest” opens with gentle chord tickling and drum tapping to set the scene. And then the vocal – and what a vocal, layer upon layer. It’s Frank Black-esque (Pixies) but within a Gothic landscape, haunting even. There’s an eeriness that screams horror movies that just keeps one on edge. The ending although blunt just leaves one begging for more.
“I See You” just trickles in softly. More gentle picking and tapping alongside a subtle, heartfelt vocal. I’ll hazard a guess there’s a significant other in mind amid the harmonising – multi layered, only rising ever so slightly at certain intervals. The bass chimes throughout, and briefly elevates mid-song as the vocal uplifts, before returning to the gentleness of the intro. Vocally I’m reminded of Brett Anderson (Suede) but that is purely coincidental.
“Too Late” begins all Thom Yorke (Radiohead) in a tortured fashion. Confident vocal layering directs the musicianship – climbing layer upon layer. Latterly the vocal gets stronger as the bass strains and the drums become more powerful.
“Guinea Pig” opens in a similar vein with a clear, audible vocal. Soft and gentle once more, taking the listener on a journey. Then, mid-song it just explodes into life – think Martin Grech (Open Heart Zoo) as a reference point. The classic slow/fast formula comes into play here; gentle picking and tapping once more, ready to explode into life at any moment.
“The Caretaker” brings proceedings right back down. Experimental in places, measured elsewhere. More tortured vocals, gentle in places but always decipherable.
This Ep is quite a departure from Deltorers, if only by taking risks and being experimental. Never one to sit still Nathan has created a new sound that with one or two tweaks might just garner a new audience. Ok; so there are multiple influences here, but taking a piece here and a piece there is nothing new – it’s about how one makes it their own. And on this evidence expect more in the future…
The EP can be found on Spotify here.
Track listing
Crows Nest
I See You
Too Late
Guinea Pig
The Caretaker
Native Tongue are
Nathan Evans – Guitar/Vocals
Arron Bennet – Drums
Jake Waters – Bassist/Vocals
Links
https://www.facebook.com/nativetonguegroup
https://nativetonguegroup.bandcamp.com
Review by Ross A. Ferrone.
