Itchy Teeth - Itchy Teeth

Itchy Teeth

(Fourtwenty Records)

Itchy Teeth are a four-piece alternative band who have certainly gone on an interesting musical journey. Quite literally actually as one day they decided to leave London, United Kingdom and travel around Europe in a car in search of music inspiration and adventure.

The result? A ten-track self-titled album that was recorded in one day, in a bunker in Germany, played all live and completed by midnight. Also, all of the songs were new because the band wanted to capture the thrill of playing new songs together for the first time as a band. The concept is an interesting one so I was intrigued to actually hear the finished product.

Opener ‘Time Machine’ kicks off straight away with the chorus as the psychedelic electric guitar swirls around the song and transports you back the swinging Sixites. The lyrics are funny and put the listener at ease whilst listening to the album.

‘Red Light Mary’ is a quirky number as they explain how they would like a statue of The Mother of Mary to help guide them through as they are ‘tripping over myself’. The high vocals work well as the drums play a steady and consistent beat.

‘Solid Gold Tooth’ is the first single from the album and really showcases the musical talents of all the members as the subtle acoustic guitar suits the track’s subject matter beautifully. It is about losing friends and the band actually decided to shoot the video in the graveyard. It is clear that religion is a strong influence in Itchy Teeth’s material which is really quite fascinating as some people find that in this day and age religious references in popular music can be quite risky if poorly or more importantly, offensively executed. Thankfully, that is not the case with this album but rather a collection of views on religion which are conveyed with instrumentation and elements of humour.

‘Face I Can Trust’ would make a catchy second single as they engage in call and response style singing. ‘Teenager Permanently’ sees someone who is now an adult looking back at their teenage years and coming to the conclusion that his attitude and mindset is very much that of a teenager still despite ageing in years. Although the music is chirpy and light, it is quite a dark song about acceptance. A well-told story.

Closing track ‘ Terrible Thing’ has a very bass heavy street walking vibe that is reminiscent of Yellow Subamarine era Beatles. If you had a colourful and vibrant animation video to accompany this I think it would prove a YouTube success.

In conclusion, Itchy Teeth are an outfit that have a Beatles meets Temples musical approach and I can’t help but think of that classic children’s television series Mr Benn when I play this record. I could never understand why the shopkeeper kept letting him back into the store despite never actually purchasing any costumes but there you go. Itchy Teeth allow your mind to travel back in time to experience the sounds of the past and they do a fantastic job.

An original band who entertain with music, comedy and entertaining stories. Just what the world needs more of right now.