Band: My First Tooth
Release: Love Makes Monsters (Album)
Release Date: Out Now
‘Love Makes Monsters’ could be the record that earns My First Tooth the following they deserve. Released through the excellent Alcopop! Records, the Northampton quartet’s sophomore offering is jam packed with infectious folk-infused pop that’s bound to plant a smile on anyone’s face.
They don’t waste any time getting down to business with opener ‘Claw To Club’, a bouncy indie number containing all the signature ingredients My First Tooth use to make their music so tasty. Most notably, it showcases their characteristic use of male/female vocal harmonies to create rich textures, and lead singer Ross Witt’s knack for creating memorable melodies.
Lead single ‘Past Broadcasts’ is an intoxicatingly catchy pop song decorated with warm string parts and those signature vocal harmonies. We especially enjoyed the use of a saxophone underneath the vocal line in the coda – as the instrument that most closely resembles the human voice it complements the sung part perfectly.
Other songs that deserve individual mentions include ‘Heartbeat Retreat’, another expansive pop number with our favourite chorus on the record, and ‘The Palace’, an ethereal slow burner that swells fantastically as it approaches its beautiful conclusion.
Impeccable musicianship helps My First Tooth stand out from the indy crowd. Their multi-instrumental capabilities allow them to carve out a distinctive sound that is recognisably their own.
‘Love Makes Monsters’ is an accomplished album from four musicians that have well and truly hit their stride. It may have been released slightly too early in the year to be the soundtrack to many people’s summers, but when the sun finally banishes this horrible weather we’ll definitely dig it out and whack it on the stereo.
8/10
Reviewer: Solomon Radley
