ALBUM REVIEW: Grapetooth – s/t
By John Spaulding
Is there a band having more fun than Grapetooth right now? Listening to their self-titled debut, it’s hard to imagine that there was ever a dull moment when recording this album. Grapetooth consists of Clay Frankel (who you might be familiar with as the guitarist and frontman of Twin Peaks) and his roommate, Chicago-based producer Home-Sick, or Chris Bailoni. The duo released their debut single, “Trouble” over a year ago, and, since then, have sold out three shows, signed to Polyvinyl Records, and released their debut album. They started making music in Bailoni’s bedroom studio just for kicks, bonding over a mutual admiration of ‘80s Japanese new wave and cheap red wine (the latter being the source of their name), and have evolved into a proper band.
The project divides its 40-minute length across 10 tracks, with almost every song sounding completely different than the last. The album’s opener, “Violent,” sets the stage for what’s to come: a lot of synths, ‘80s nostalgia, and fun. “Death” and “Blood” both have infectious synths that beg the listener to dance like no one’s watching. You also have “Imagine On,” which sounds straight out of a John Hughes flick, which is followed by “Hangover Sq.,” which takes its lyrics from a 17th century English poem and pairs it with a jangle-pop instrumental that wouldn’t entirely surprise me to be a Smiths track that never saw the light of day. It’s moments like this which showcase the band’s free and easygoing attitude.
One of the most impressive aspects of this album is its versatility; each track fits a different mood, and Clay’s vocals are never quite the same on any two songs. This, however, leads to inconsistent flow at times, especially towards the back end of the album, where we go from the woozy and slow anthem “Hallelujah” to the infectious dance tune “Blood,” and then right to the drunken sing along and closer “Together.” This takes away from each song’s individuality and makes some songs feel out of place, leading me to believe that the album wouldn’t flow any better or worse on shuffle. It’s more of a collection of 10 singles than a complete album, which isn’t entirely a bad thing considering just how good each song is.
Throughout the consistently synth-driven composition, there are only a few moments of awe-inspiring instrumentation across the whole album. The instrumental outro to “Blood” is one of these rare moments where Grapetooth takes a risk at some less conventional sounds. Overall, the instrumentation is far too predictable, especially considering the unorthodox approach to integrating a 250 year old poem into a song’s lyrics.
This album’s varying genres aligns with the whole Grapetooth aesthetic, which, in itself, is hard to describe. I have their poster on my dorm wall, which shows the duo wearing sneakers, baggy trousers, vintage football kits, and Frankel wielding a katana. They are often seen wearing suits that probably haven’t been worn in 20 years, giving off the look of a less fortunate Gordon Gekko. For some reason, it all just works, and it illustrates all that is to love about Grapetooth; it’s just so fun and organic that it doesn’t need an explanation to be understood.
Although this album isn’t the first album to wind the clock back 30 years, it’s one of the better ones in recent memory. Something that many albums of this genre suffer from is a lack of personality. I’ve heard numerous projects that attempt to bring back the dance hits of the ‘80s that are too bland and devoid of character to enjoy or remember. Every second on this album is oozing with personality, and couldn’t have been written and performed by anyone other than Grapetooth.