Mother Tongues: Love in a Vicious Way

“Guess it’s getting to me / all this time spent on my own,” begins psych-pop outfit Mother Tongues’ debut album, a collection of dense and immense songs from Lukas Cheung and Charise Aragoza. Across ten tracks, Love in a Vicious Way (Wavy Haze) buzzes and swirls, electronic textures filling the spaces between Aragoza’s sleek vocals and Cheung’s intricate guitar riffs. Cheung, Aragoza and co-producer Asher Gould-Murtagh combine immersive and detailed production with sincere writing to create a record that soars.

Cheung and Aragoza understand how to juxtapose and intertwine their styles for maximum effect. Livelier tracks like “Only You (Reprise)” borrow from dance and breakbeat, while the sweet lilt of “Drip Drip” sees the band relaxing into themselves. Album standout “Dance in the Dark” whacks you over the head with a thick hook before Aragoza’s staccato vocal comes in: “Why ...