by Seth Daspit (@gazeisdone)
Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten have complimented each other’s riffs and molded their voices into one since their 2016 EP Thanks Come Again. Following up with two albums – the straightforward, melodic songwriting prompts in Interloper and the conceptually aspiring album Two of Me – has led Momma, now along with producer/guitarist/former red car owner Aron Ritch, into Household Name.
Obsessions with bending the mainstream into 90s culture and reaching Cobain-levels of fame have dominated their new direction, with not only the overarching album message, but also with Friedman getting inspired from a poster of Kurt during the 1991 Reading Festival in the “Rockstar” music video. “GO FORTH AND ROCK.” To add on, the six-second interlude of the track (while the Cobain inspiration takes place in the video) is one of the best song breaks/music video moments heard and seen!
Nirvana’s mysterious aura and the fascination of their lightning-in-a-bottle type of success has seemed to perplex and influence today’s youth the same way past generations were inspired. Momma seems to be wearing that kind of influence and curiosity on their sleeves. In terms of championing the 1990s, Momma wrote – in my mind – Gen Z’s “1979” in “Speeding 72”. Based on Ritch’s chord progressions, the faded, go-lucky attitude and timelessness around the song is the car anthem today’s youth need to be able to call their own – something their parents of the grunge era can’t claim themselves.
Opposite of this lane, Weingarten’s “Motorbike” is a song that reminds us of the underbelly of “when the joyride ends”. The song is a heartbreak, and it transcends music when the lyrics and rhythm stay in your mind throughout daily life. Weingarten’s songwriting and lyrical delivery shine in that it makes the song hard to listen to because of how effectively sad it is.
“Tall Home” has got to be the most unique song the band has written to date. One of the drum patterns – which I can only describe as almost 8-bit sounding – was a first. Friedman’s fierce delivery of “I could be your everything,” was a highlight. Momma is an inspirational act, and the future is exciting for this band – especially after seeing them experimentally branch out on “Tall Home.”