For a while it seemed as if Two Tongues was nothing more than a one-off. Formed by Say Anything’s Max Bemis and Saves The Day’s Chris Conley, Two Tongues was established as a means of collaborating in-between obligations to their other bands. In 2009 they released an album and, aside from playing some of the songs live here and there, that seemed to be the extent of the project’s life. But on October 14, Equal Vision Records will release Two Tongues Two, which will be followed by the band’s first proper tour.
The A.V. Club is premiering “Scorpio” below, which shows just how much has changed within the project since its self-titled debut. While Two Tongues skewed poppy, Two Tongues Two goes scuzzy. “Scorpio” is built on blown-out power chords, a garage-punk stomp, and a murkier outlook than what Bemis or Conley are regularly known for. It’s a gritty rock ’n’ roll song with riffs so fuzzy they border on noise installations, dueling guitar solos, and a chorus that, against all odds, becomes an undeniable earworm.
Pre-orders for Two Tongues Two are available now, and the full list of Two Tongues tour dates can be found here.