From Eric J Lawrence:
Raleigh, North Carolina-based indie-rock quintet The Love Language truly speak my language & hit all the right musical buttons to make me fall in love – with them! They travel in similar waters as other practitioners of the 21st version of twee pop, a la Belle and Sebastian, The Concretes and one-time fellow Merge Records artists Camera Obscura.
There’s a definite retro flavor in their sound, mainly in the spacious, Wall of Sound, echo chamber production style. Leader Stuart McLamb’s swoony vocals fit somewhere between that of the luscious heartbreak of Roy Orbison and the space cowboy vibe of Band of Horses’ Ben Bridwell. The orchestrations are full of nice little touches like xylophones and organs, but they all work to the heart of the songs and are never fussy.
Love Language – Horophones
My favorite cut, “Horophones,” serves as a perfect example: a garage pop stomper worthy of the Shangri-Las, a slighty woozy vocal harmony break and a distortion-laden outro that brings it all home. I don’t know what a “horophone” is, but The Love Language can sing about it all day and I’d be happy. In fact I’d love it!
ERIC J. LAWRENCE
Editor’s Note: Love Language will be playing the Henry Fonda Theater with KCRW faves Local Natives on September 17. That will be an AMAZING show.