“Drowning Out Love” is their fifth indie album; how did a group this good stay under the radar for so long? Late Tuesday features the sparkling vocals of three uniquely talented women, Tara Ward (keys, guitar, vocals), Jocelyn Meyer (guitar, vocals), and Dana Little (keys, vocals), with a penchant for whimsy and apparently the Rhodes electric keyboard. Never have I heard an album feature this axe so prominently, but their angelic vocals make it work. Their vocals might be capable of making anything work; they’re that good together.
I love the album’s bold start, the unabashed opening vocals of “Get On,” a whimsical look at the vagaries of love. The liner notes never identify which singer is featured, but I love her low tones, startling rich throughout the album. Late Tuesday offers soaring harmonies, airy arrangements, and insightful lyrics, most often addressing the topic of love in its many forms. While that may sound a bit mundane, they are anything but, zigging when you were sure you saw a zag coming. Masters of irony, they’ve written harmonic gems as expressive lyrically as sonically. The sardonic waltz “I’m Not Your Type” bounces its way through a beautiful dismissal, cushioned in stacked harmonies of incredible sweetness. Therein lies a part of Late Tuesday’s magic, the study in contrasts so prevalent on “Drowning Out Love.” The melodious vocals of “Part of the Cure” bounce beautifully off the thick instrumentation and rhythmic accents. The earthy straightforward wisdom of “Everything’s Broken (Redeemed)” is delivered in a package of twinkling sonic encouragement. I don’t know who’s singing lead (a lot of switching takes place in the course of the album) on the title track but I love the languid quality of her voice.
Apparently Late Tuesday has a tradition of including a track on each album that is built around a Psalm. On “Drowning Out Love,” they’ve chosen to tackle the sexually charged Bible book, Song of Songs. The result is stunner “Song of Songs,” a luminous display of skyrocketing harmonies flipping their way through minor chords in a breath-taking fashion. Rich, rich, rich.
Their website announces their upcoming disbanding after 6 plus years of performing together. I rail against the sky at the timing, but “Drowning Out Love” leaves us with a rock solid memento to cling to in their absence. If Late Tuesday is in your area before it’s all over, make sure you see them.
