There is a lot of momentum behind Austin band Young Tongue. Formerly known as The Baker Family, the band has transitioned to a sound that depends heavily on prog rock energy tinged with jarring varietals of guitar and percussion. The band recently released a video for “Cat Calls,” one such that song that lures you into a dark dream world with its catchy, sing-songy guitar picking whilst steadily and stealthily climbing towards a deliciously sinister finish that may leave you concussed and perplexed. It seems fitting that the video sneaks up on you in the same way.
Created in just 48 hours during Austin’s Music Video Race, which pairs bands with filmmakers in a two day marathon of shooting and editing to compete for gear and other prizes, the videos best moments use subtle imagery to reflect Young Tongue’s lyrics. “The light we follow, that won’t stay over you” becomes a cobwebbed bulb glumly glowing while a translucent spider spins around it. Images are projected on the band, clad in white, morphing along with the actual song as it progresses. Streaks of gold paint appear on the band members’ faces, echoing the lyric “we paint our faces ‘til no two look the same.” These finely drawn visual elements are interspersed with scenes of someone being stalked by people wearing rubber animal masks, adding some major creep factor.
By the time the bridge rolls around, the song and video take an ominous turn as a night walk turns into an initiation of sorts. The image we are left with is our protagonist emerging from a seedy hotel pool in a bison mask, and by the end of it all, the menacing mood falls away and becomes something more like a narrative of a rebellion and transformation, reflective of the band’s own transition toward more invigorating, experimental tones.
Only more good things can from a band with such driving sound and artistic energy. Young Tongue releases their first full length album, aptly titled Death Rattle, on November 11 through Punctum and Raw Paw Records.
