With House of Tongues, New York's Elk City re-invent the seductive sophistication of 1970's FM radio pop - but never shy away from their formidable rock power.
The striking blend of rock, folk, soul and jazz on their newest release separates Elk City from their peers in terms of ambition and expertise. Not since the brilliant American Music Club has a popular band so fully metabolized this range of influences to such masterful effect. The band shows its strength with elegance and ease on House of Tongues.
Singer Renée LoBue's muscular pipes are ripped and ready to carry the torch. Her melodic songwriting filled with a bracing, confessional vulnerability. LoBue possesses one of her generations most versatile and distinctive voices, alongside the likes of Regina Spektor and The National's Matt Berninger. Her songs are a veritable transit rail from the intoxications of 1960's Bay Area psychedelia to the smoky Parisian outposts which might once have hosted Nina Simone.
LoBue is well-matched with guitarist Sean Eden, who joined Elk City soon after the break-up of the legendary Luna. Eden's performance on House of Tongues may well constitute his finest on record. Certainly his identity as a player has never been cast in bolder relief. Eden expresses and withholds his playing in a manner perfectly reflecting the hope and anxiety of LoBue's lyrics. His playing is conversationally forthcoming yet willfully oblique. Eden extracts reservoirs of emotion from tracks like "Jerks On Ice" and he tears the cover off the closing moments of "Wire Goats" - a galvanic piece recalling mid-period David Bowie, with a vocal turn from LoBue evoking the effervescent readings of Brian Ferry.
Producer/drummer Ray Ketchem's agile focus crops in on LoBue and Eden but is perfectly vignetted by new keyboardist, Carl Baggaley. Baggaley's facile transition from barnstorming barrelhouse rhythm playing to sophisticated, jazz informed digressions expands Elk City's already impressive range. In addition, Ketchem's propulsive drumming provides the drive for tracks like "Real Low Riders", which evolves from a minor key verse ala Sonic Youth into a major rave up befitting the best of Blondie.
The international-timeline song "Nine O'Clock In France" finds LoBue dreaming of a night out in Paris from a very New York perspective. "Revelry won't wait!", exclaims LoBue on the track, and you'll want to join her for cocktails as the chorus unfolds.
The conspicuous cover art for House of Tongues was created by American contemporary artist Brian Dettmer. Using a Harper's Dictionary of Classical Literature and Antiquities from 1937, Dettmer sculpted his unique interpretation of the splendorous architecture of Elk City's music.
House of Tongues is indeed an act of architecture, each song building on the next with a runaway momentum culminating, finally, in one of music's great catharses. If there is a central moment, it would be "The Onion", a song which finds LoBue reading along with the famous lampoon as she simultaneously strips away the layers of artifice from her being. "I finally have the courage to look into the mirror and stand up for my life..."
And here, over the course of five minutes and 37 seconds, a seminal artist reveals her essence and her brilliance, abetted by great band at the peak of their power.
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California Dreamin'
Elk City Lyrics
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I've been for a walk on a winter's day
I'd be safe and warm if I was in L.A.
California dreamin' on such a winter's day
Stopped in to a church I passed along the way
Well I got down on my knees and I pretend to pray
You know the preacher liked the cold
California dreamin' on such a winter's day
All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray
I've been for a walk on a winter's day
If I didn't tell her I could leave today
California dreamin' on such a winter's day
California dreamin' on such a winter's day
California dreamin' on such a winter's day
Elk City’s version of “California Dreamin’” is a cover of The Mamas & the Papas’ 1965 hit, which was written by John and Michelle Phillips. The lyrics describe the singer’s desire to be in California during the winter, where the weather is warm and sunny. The first verse sets the scene with “all the leaves are brown and the sky is gray,” which is a reference to the dreary, overcast weather typical of winter in many parts of the country. The singer then says that they have gone for a walk on a winter’s day, which emphasizes the contrast between the cold, gloomy weather and the warm, sunny setting they are dreaming of: California. The singer says they would be “safe and warm” if they were in L.A., which suggests a longing for a sense of security that they feel they lack in their current location.
In the second verse, the singer stops in a church and pretends to pray. This moment highlights the singer’s sense of desperation and longing for something better. They are looking for a sense of purpose or guidance, and the church provides a temporary respite. However, the preacher “likes the cold,” which suggests that this sense of longing and discomfort is something the singer will have to bear alone. The final chorus repeats the same longing of wanting to be in California, emphasizing the dreamlike quality of this desire. The repetition of the phrase “California dreamin’” throughout the song adds to this sense of longing and a desire to escape from reality.
Line by Line Meaning
All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray
The winter season has stripped the trees of their leaves while also bringing cloudy and overcast skies.
I've been for a walk on a winter's day
The singer has taken a walk on this cold winter day, perhaps in search of inspiration or a change of scenery.
I'd be safe and warm if I was in L.A.
The singer believes that the warm climate of Los Angeles would provide a much-needed reprieve from the chilly conditions they are currently experiencing.
California dreamin' on such a winter's day
The artist is daydreaming of the endless summer offered by California while stuck in the dreary winter weather.
Stopped in to a church I passed along the way
The artist has taken a detour to visit a church on their walk, perhaps seeking solace or guidance.
Well I got down on my knees and I pretend to pray
The singer is trying to find comfort and hope by pretending to pray, even if they may not hold strong religious beliefs.
You know the preacher liked the cold
The singer notes that the preacher enjoys the current wintry conditions, perhaps highlighting a contrast in personal preferences or a struggle with accepting the realities of life.
He knows I'm gonna stay
The artist implies that they are trapped in their current circumstances, unable to just leave and chase their California dreams.
If I didn't tell her I could leave today
The artist is potentially in a relationship and considers leaving without telling their partner, indicating a desire for change and escape.
California dreamin' on such a winter's day
The refrain continues to emphasize the artist's longing for a life in California, free from the constraints of their current situation.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: John Edmund Andrew Phillips, Michelle Gilliam Phillips
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind