If intro songs were the be all and end all of an album, then Teeth & Tongue would have Grids in the charts. Starting off with their track ‘Good Man’, also played on triple j, listeners are immediately acquainted with the quirky, slightly ’80s sounds of Teeth & Tongue.
But this strong start is seriously halted with their follow-up track, ‘More Than This’. The track appears to be just as strong as its predecessor, but flatlines for too long before picking itself up. Put simply, if it were a person it would have died.
In a sophomore album mistakes can still be easily made, and can be just as easily forgotten as long as they can prove themselves in the remainder of the album. Luckily for Teeth & Tongue, they’ve managed to save themselves in their remaining tracks.
Wild drumbeats layered with synthy guitar riffs and smooth vocals work harmoniously together in their track ‘Newborn’, a highlight on the album that works perfectly to break things up.
Other mentionable tracks are ‘Boredom’, ‘Going South’, ‘Today’ and ‘Family Home’, each offering a nice blend of ’80s pop, folk and alternative rock.
Grids is a clear example of the flexibility that Teeth & Tongue have. Whilst it’s easiest to say they’re yet another alternative band, there are strong ’80s electro influences with a twang of experimentalism and folk that make them stand out.
So load it onto your iPod, close your eyes and be taken back to a world where perms and puff jackets were commonplace.
Release: out now via Dot Dash Recordings
Written by Amanda Sherring