Police Teeth – Awesomer Than The Devil
The Devil no longer has the best tunes: Police Teeth do.
It seems ridiculous that nobody thought of such an erudite title before this moment but Bellingham, WA based quartet Police Teeth make a more than credible effort at being both louder, looser and overall more awesomer than Old Nick. If the great pantheon of North American rock was missing anything towards the end of the previous century, it was a band who could convincingly use such a title and indeed, come blasting out of the gates with a song called ‘Send More Cops’ without seeming immodest. Fortunately for all of us, Police Teeth are that band. Comprised of veterans of fondly regarded Pacific North-Western bands such as USS Horsewhip and Racetrack, Awesomer… is the band’s third record and first with rising Chicago/Milwaukee based indie label Latest Flame. It’s also inarguably their most focused and ambitious recording to date, showing a new found maturity and confidence which belies the absurdist song-titles and self-depreciating humour.
Coming off the back of two near perfect albums is a big ask for any band but Police Teeth handle the challenge with aplomb. Whilst previous efforts were recorded by legendary West Coast engineer Conrad Uno, this time around the band recruited Dan Mohr of the similarly brilliant Seattle group The Bismarck to man the boards. The result is a denser and more cohesive effort than either of the previous records and the muscular sound Mohr captures on tape is part of what makes this record both a worthy successor and important step forward for the group. In particular the rhythm section sounds louder and heavier than ever before, which in turn makes the entire album a bulkier and yet simultaneously more fluid affair. Whilst not afraid to throw in the odd anthemic bridge or chorus, Police Teeth return to the fray at a thundering gait, with shrieking guitars and bellowed vocalisations. It’s a technique which pays dividends throughout and whilst not as immediately gratifying as the incredible Real Size Monster Series, the new record is both more consistent and deeper in terms of texture, with both sides of the album building to long, slow-burning numbers that showcase another aspect of the Police Teeth repertoire.
While the obvious sonic template is fabled Portland, OR band The Wipers, there are also nods to latter day Fugazi – in fact the terrific ‘Public Defender’ could be a portmanteau of those groups – but crucially Police Teeth are capable of being both more raucous (as on the incandescent ‘Send More Cops’ or the blistering ‘Digital Snakes’) and more deliberately melodic (in a fairer world, the touching ‘Summertime Bruise’ would be heralded as one of the best rock singles of the year). Probably the most thematically significant track on the album is bassist/vocalist Chris Rasmussen’s ‘Rock N Roll Is A Pyramid Scheme Parts 1 & 2’, which begins with a looped sample of Partman Parthorse’s presumed dis-track ‘Emerald City Dollar Bin’. Considering the fact that the previous record was practically a concept album about the trials and tribulations of being an indie rock band caught between the now long standing traditions of underground existence and the reality of snatching tours between day-jobs, one wonders whether Rasmussen’s closing declaration that “you shouldn’t take that shit so seriously” is a reminder to themselves more than anyone else. Certainly the band has returned to covering a broader spectrum of themes, which is a somewhat welcome decision considering the danger of unintentionally becoming overly fixated on internal issues, however universal they might seem.
Instead we’re presented with an album which is at once more ambiguous and ambitious. Contrary to characteristically provocative song-titles, Awesomer… is a record more concerned by the small mercies and simple pleasures of life. On guitarist/vocalist J. Burns’ superb ‘Summertime Bruise’, the total sum of his desires is a bottle wedged under a windowsill to let the smoke out. “I can call in sick tomorrow if you feel like you want to stay the night” bellows the gregarious Burns in a rare moment of vulnerability. There’s also a tangible sense of dejection in the following ‘Hatebuttoned’, a deft number which demonstrates the value of second guitarist/vocalist Adam Grunke’s playing. Likewise, Rasmussen’s ‘Dude Handler’s Permit’ which is another exemplary illustration of the bassist’s growing ear for memorable hooks. Part of the charm of the record is the manner in which smaller, more personal relationships are used as microcosms for the wider themes. The sinister ‘Public Defender’ creeps forward from a simple drum and bass coda into a histrionic guitar overload as Burns relays a disturbing, pseudo-sexual fantasy complete with legalese dogma and a lyrical nod to Husker Du. The subtle usage of two fingered organ playing as a counter-part to the howling feedback is a nice touch which might bear repeating in the future.
Likewise the caustic ‘True Stuff’, which has some of the best guitar interplay of the band’s discography thus far, evolving from delicate, high-frequency riffs to some thoroughly evocative effects-laden harmonics which would make Greg Sage proud. The scorched earth pounding of ‘Digital Snakes’ is a remarkable screed on the frailties of economic speculation which somehow becomes progressively more insane for every ten seconds of running time. The penultimate ‘Christian Rudolph, Man of Science’ is an uncharacteristically heated Rasmussen track with a memorable outro, complete with squalling lead guitar parts, metallic riffing and a some excellent call and response vocals courtesy of the now traditional wives and girlfriends choir. Awesomer… ends with a lengthy version of Factory Records obscurity ‘Watching the Hydroplanes’ by Blackpool based band Tunnel Vision. At first it seems like an odd choice of song to cover but the two bands have at least vague geographic common-ground, both being in the coastal North-West of their respective countries. The paranoia and sense of looming dread is retained but whereas the original trickles to a halt after just under four minutes, Police Teeth run the song for another five, building to a blazing climax. It’s a fitting conclusion for a record which should by rights be fighting for places in end of year polls for best album.
Police Teeth – Awesomer Than The Devil
(2011) Latest Flame
Feature Photo by Martin Austin.
