THE TONGUE – ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

The Tongue’s second album second album, Alternative Energy, has been highly critically acclaimed and rightfully so. It is easily one of the best Australian hip-hop releases to date. The first track, and single of the album The Show, is the party track, reminiscent of The Punch from his debut E.P. Bad Education, but much darker, funkier and essentially fatter, and with a good smattering of the clever, cutting lines, that pepper the album – “Free information / Pay with your attention” and “Can’t be anything but real, man / We livin’ real life.” Another highlight is Australian Gangster, with its monster bass-line (wake-up-humming-it-sh*t) and impressive lyrical tour of Australia’s gangster heritage, from our genocidal convict origins through to big business and Macquarie Bank. Some lyrics do push the boundaries of good taste – “On the mike I (gunshot sounds) like Ivan Milat.”)   But, Tongue’s no gangsta-wanna-be. In fact, he’s “Never met a gangster who raps / Only rappers who act like gangsters who don’t know how to act.” Guest appearances include Gift of Gab, Urthboy and Ngaiire but biggest presence on the album, apart from Tongue, is Joyride, whose huge melodic vocals add an impressive depth of texture.