Based in Los Angeles, songwriters Etta Friedman (18) and Allegra Weingarten (19) formed their band Momma after bonding over their love of the LA DIY scene. They just released their first full-length album on May 25th, Interloper, which I’d describe as a nice mix between indie rock and bedroom pop. This is their first album since their debut EP Thanks, Come Again!, which was released in 2016. They have come a long way since their EP in my personal opinion. Their sound is more reformed, and you can easily tell they put hours into this debut album. 

My favorite song from Thanks Come Again! would have to be Waterford Way. You can hear the differences in harmonies from this song compared to Interloper and the results are amazing. Interloper is the perfect follow-up where they have figured out their sound.

Interloper is a cohesive album with a mellow sound, with beautiful harmonies. This is the type of music you can just sit down and listen to the entire album without skipping around. (If you’re looking for a song with extremely well-done melodies, I’d highly recommend Signed Hunter.)An interloper is someone who gets involved in a place where they’re considered to not belong, which is an interesting ideal when you listen to this album. I felt this album captures ideals from “teen life” and the feeling of not belonging. I felt as if both Friedman and Weingarten enjoy wallowing in their “teenage youth” and the fact their songs relate to a lot of contemplation and ideas that revolve around growing up express this. 

These ideas are shown in their second single from the album, Work. The lyrics say, “Hey, I think you’ve got my lunchbox/Walking home, I got rocks in my shoes/3:15, meet in the locker room.” From my perspective, it just seems as though they want to stay young and explore more during this portion of their lives. They are still figuring themselves out and it is their first album so they have time. 

My favorite off of the album is of course, Interloper. The song the album was named after begins with a really free-feeling guitar riff and is just a nice up-beat song. “You’re a loner so I’ve heard. Interloper come over,” expresses their wanting to fit in and be accepted. Overall, this song has really nice vocals and instrumentals. Its a strong song off of the album, so it’s no wonder how it also became the album name. 

Interloper is a great start for these two songwriters as they continue to make more music and define their sound.

Happy Listening,

Ashley Peterson

Music Director