(Crystal Chain/Inertia)

Femme fatale rock with a twist of noir please

Monobasic is the debut record for Teeth & Tongue, aka Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Jess Cornelius, but it’s probably not the first time you’ve heard her voice. Likeable if slightly forgettable indie-pop band Moscow Schoolboy first introduced listeners of community radio to Cornelius’ vocal talents a couple of years ago, but judging from this record, it appears that we’d only glimpsed the tip of her throaty iceberg. So to speak. Monobasic is a real step up in terms of revealing the true depths of Cornelius’ talents. Her lyrics tend to set moods rather than tell stories, but it’s invariably her deep, authoritarian voice that she uses to best emotive effect. While it’s true that PJ Harvey has become our generation’s Janis Joplin when it comes to unimaginative female rock comparisons, the gruff then darkly soulful vocals on This Is Now sounds like Cornelius is going for the blue ribbon in the national Polly Jean Soundalike Contest. Overall though, the record’s minimal yet passionate bluesy feel sounds as much like Ladyhawke re-recording a Mazzy Star album than it does any of Harvey’s specific works. Musically, Teeth & Tongue continually steers to the dark side of the track, whether it’s drawing on influences from alt-country (There Is A Lightness To My Bones), barroom blues (Dirty Rag) or even Fleetwood Mac (Sea Ice), and the consistent mood laid over the different sounds works in her favour. Definitely a record for headphones rather than bringing out for company, Monobasic occasionally suffers from a deficit of pop hooks, but at only nine songs in length, it’s over before fatigue hits. A solid, promising debut.

***

SIMON TOPPER

Comments (1)

Write Comment
Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Poster's IP addresses are logged.
Name:
Comment:
Code:*