The Snake The Cross The Crown

Cotton Teeth

Written by: TL on 30/07/2007 23:24:11

Okay so you thought the latest Bright Eyes record (Cassadaga) was pretty country huh? Oh so you liked it? Well this one's for you then. And by 'this one' what I mean is the latest album from The Snake The Cross The Crown, called "Cotton Teeth", and trust me the resemblance is not something I have dreamt up in order to be able to write something cool in the introduction. Cotton Teeth sounds exactly like what would come out of it if Connor Oberst sat down with Ryan Adams on the porch and played guitar while watching the sunset. Indie-folk, wohuu! Banjo's and hammond-organs all around!

Proof? Check out track 2, "The Great American Smokeout", a very charming track with a chorus so distinctly country that it should remove any doubt you might have in my allegations. In other words what we're dealing with is the, in indie-circles, apparently ever so popular dusty americana folk, mostly kept slow and bluesy as tradition prescribes, but also gaining a bit of speed in it's places, where it almost, just almost sounds a bit like the magic of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's epinymous debut.

In effect the title track could've come straight of an Adams' record, with all the pros and cons that imply, while opener "Cakewalk", standing out as one of the albums highlights, has that dash of a more Bright Eyes-ish attitude that instigated my previous comparisons. And cmon, who's not a sucker for a chorus that goes "And I wanna live on a stage, I wanna play the guitar and I wanna get paid"? Another strong point is "Hey Jim" that sports a more progressive indie approach than the rest of the songs, slowly building itself up to a stormy climax.

This band (I refuse to type that long ass name more than one time in one review, and yes I realize that that statement was even longer, shut up already) has got their style nailed. They have a soft, warm, dusty and inviting soundscape and despite the fact that it might look a wee bit like the ones of the other artists I've already mentioned, it is quality craftmanship. Now the problem however is, that what does not escape the likelyness between this band and others is that the need for good songs is even more outlined when the sound is so traditional, and here Cotton Teeth falls through a bit, as too many of the songs sound a bit too much like stuff that's already been done within the genre. I strongly recommend checking out the strong titles listed here below and then maybe keeping an eye out for an eventual improved follow-up.

Download: Cakewalk, Hey Jim, Behold The River
For the fans of: Ryan Adams, Bright Eyes, Dear And The Headlights
Listen: MySpace

Release Date 19.03.2007
Equal Vision
Provided by Target ApS

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