Comprised of many previous bands, among them Maps, Red Tiger Riot and Tulip, Silver Arm are a band not short on experience. This single, which is incredibly brief at two minutes(and one second!), is a good indicator of their other work, two further examples of which are available on Soundcloud.
Reminiscent of Carp and a rapid-fire, carpet-bombing version of Television, Dead Tongues is lively, explosive and disarming. The drums clatter as though they are being played on the back of a speeding pickup, and the feedback loop lines are a welcome addition to this ragged fray.
The brevity of the track does it no disservice, and the suddenness of the track’s conclusion suits Silver Arm’s writing style. For fans of Tomahawk, Rites Of Spring, Fugazi, Wire, Gang Of Four and Ten Grand, this will be a lot of fun. I’d be keen to hear the material in the context of an EP, and an EP of this stuff would be just the ticket.