"Friend Or Foe": Groove-Filled Rock From Common Tongue

Common Tongue: two-piece alt rock [photo: Common Tongue]

The brainchild of friends Matt Thompsett and Matt Winterman, Portsmouth's COMMON TONGUE are back with "Friend or Foe", a fuzzy little slice of alt blues rock.

Thompsett's guitar kicks things off, the overdrive and distortion reinforcing the groove-filled riff that carries the track forward. Winterman's drums are a perfect accompaniment, playing a simple yet powerful rhythm that helps bolster the track.

It's the sort of riff where you just feel your head moving along, feeling the groove in every possible way.

The vocals - also delivered by Thompsett - add a unique rawness to the track, whilst also maintaining the gritty, 'rough' rock sound.

Understandably, the track does feel a little thin in places; some lead licks or solos might have been nice to add variety. That said, I can see why these were omitted, especially viewed from the lens of playing the track live.

By the time the Sabbath-esque galloping end riff comes into play, the duo have perfectly captured the rock sound, unafraid to add their own inflections and flair. You want your rock all bluesy and fuzzy? Common Tongue are here to deliver it.

"Friend or Foe": out now

"Friend or Foe" is out NOW on streaming services