The Pervertable Tongues make music that is alternately cacophonous and melodic. It’s a heady cocktail of found sounds and frontwoman Krystal Fawn’s acrobatic vocal stylings.
Last week, the band (Fawn, her partner multi-instrumentalist RW Ruehlen, drummer Nicole Roach and keyboardist Michael Abbey) brought their quirky avant pop songs to Red Line Tap in Rogers Park. The six-song set featured songs from their debut album Syntactical Makeover.
The set began with a blistering rendition of album opener “Labels Schmables”. The four members have a distinct chemistry that was readily on display as they launched into the song at a kinetic pace. Fawn whirled about the stage while singing “I’m not your happy child/your depressing/your anxiety/your hate.” In the background, Roach provided sure-handed drumming.
Next was “Cyborg Irene”, which addresses the cons of technological advances and features such lyrics as “Cyborg Irene was a techno fiend/cyborg Irene was a natural machine.” The crowd grew more appreciative focusing their attention on the band (and not the pool table); and there were quite a few nodding heads as the set went on.
“The Mom Song” was next, and –- appropriately enough -– Fawn dedicated the song about childbirth and motherhood to her own mother and grandmother both of whom were in attendance. “The clouds roll on as I sing this old song/a song for my mom and her mom and her mom,” Fawn intoned before switching gears to an almost doo-wop style vocal for the bridge.
Album highlight “Cut My Brains Out And Feed Them to My Dog” also proves to be a standout of the band’s live repertoire. The song switches moods between folky acoustic guitar and anthemic mid-song chorus of “dinner by 5, divorce by 9.” Ruehlen provided vocal harmony while amiably plucking away. The band closed out its set with “Touch Your Dreams”, a moody, almost ambient number that the crowd seemed to enjoy.
In fact the crowd seemed in a far more festive mood than when the evening began with the arrival of the first band an hour before. The four-piece that was taking a bow certainly had something to do with that.