If your musical taste includes Lauren Hill and Under the Influence of Giants, The Tontons are the perfect mix of the two, plus a dash of Jimi Hendrix here and there. The psychedelic rock of The Tontons includes the “old-soul” voice of frontwoman Asli Omar with the beats and a breezy background sound reminiscent of decades past.
This Houston-based four person group released their sophomore album, Make Out King and Other Stories of Love, on February 18th that includes 11 tracks worth of their unique sound. As lead singer Asli explains, it is “more than just an album to us. It’s 3 years of growth and change. It’s touring across America. It’s playing in places that we never thought we would see. It’s our story and we hope that, for everyone who takes the time to listen, it will become part of their story too.“
At times, each track seems to sound the same as the next, but Asli Omar’s vocals provide a sound that is described as “empowering, sultry and emotional force” – something that, as a female listener, provides a sense of female empowerment in what can seem sometimes like a male dominated industry. It was added to my wishlist on Bandcamp after hearing the first song.
Release Date: February 18th, 2014
Run time: ~ 40 minutes
Rating: 4/5
Track listing:
1. Magic Hour
2. Pony
3. So Tired
4. Veida
5. Kidd Cemetery
6. Paradise
7. Wild Kind
8. Bones 1
9. Lonely
10. Bones 2
11. Ruins
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Written By: Rachel Policano
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