Ether Teeth

Fog�s Ether Teeth, while not very accessible initially, becomes a captivating record with time. The opener �Plum Dumb� is an unassuming, quiet affair with its meditative guitar, sprinkled piano notes, and the repeating sample of people singing �Which nobody can deny.� Those who find themselves drawn into the comfort of the first track will be abruptly awakened by the raucous �What a Day Day.� The record-scratching, caustic drumbeat of this song is the beginning of a chain of striking moments that make this album interesting. Listeners will hear a lot of birds chirping as well as other various samples. A phone rings and is answered in the middle of a recording session. In one of the most annoying moments of the album, gum is smacked loudly as part of the percussion on �The Girl from the Gum Commercial.� �Under a Anvil Tree� has the most interesting lyrical content of the album, culminating in the line �One day a dump truck will dump two tons of kittens on me.� �No Boys Allowed� is undoubtedly one of the catchiest moments of the album, with its circular vocal refrain, heavy bass drum hits, and marching snare rolls. There is a rich assortment of instrumentation to be found throughout the album as well, including bells, horns, piano, and strings.
Ether Teeth is a record full of odd, yet engaging songs. Music like this does not come around often, and while it can be unsettling at times, Ether Teeth is altogether intriguing.