OUR BROTHER THE NATIVE – tooth & claw

(CD/download, Fat Cat)

I don’t believe a word of the story about three american kids getting together to form a band and Fat Cat finding them via myspace and this leading to the release of this record. Then again, I still don’t believe that Coco Rosie are actually really sisters or that Ariel Pink really exists. On the other hand, stories like these aren’t worth a lot. Sometimes I prefer to get promos without the sheet, without info or without the cover (if I can find a cover to put on top of the reviews, that is). On my first listen to a record of a band that I haven’t known about I try to avoid all these influences as good as possible, which is not at all really good. I am getting distracted, things warble in my mind and mix into a childlike melee of thoughts, ideas and chords. Where was I? Oh yes, these stories are plainly made (up?) to please the oblique and superficial interest of some parts of the audience. The same people interested if the main female and male character of a hollywood love movie really fell in love or not. The same people interested the secret diaries of princess Diana’s chambermaid. The same people that are interested in how much of a novel is autobiographical. All of these things that cloak a judgement of a movie, a book, a newsstory or a record for what they are relly worth. It seems to be the times that we live in. So what?

“tooth & claw” is a wild ride of a record even if it is soothing and poppy most of the time. It is the free organisation of noises, samples, kid’s choirs and samples, weirdness and creativity running free that forms these basically simple songs into the remarkable work of originality and artsy vitality. This result is also effected by their way of sending tapes with half-finished songs back and forth between Michigan, were two thirds of OBTN reside, and Californa, were boy number three is at home. This makes adding and adding and adding new stuff onto the old heap easier. They seem to be gentle and open to the other two’s opinion at the same time as they are having fun in letting their imagination run wild. Most songs are slow and melancholic, though, a typical effect of bedroom-recording. Even if this bedroom studio includes state of the art computer equipment and lots of pedals, effects and boxes.

The stories around OBTN are even further enhanced by some other facts and rumours. That the three have never met in person to make this record, which is quite unusual for a debut, but only when they staged a show on a Fat Cat night and had just one day to rehearse. It fits the playful and exuberant style of their music as well as the self imposed restrictions to their improvisations. If you want to see them as the younger brothers of Coco Rosie, go ahead and do so. You won’t be so much besides the point as with other likewise analogies you have drawn.

Or the way all songtitles refer to some sort of marine species or something. The slow swirl and wavelike drifting groove of most songs is very akin to the movements of underwater life in the sea. Then there is a definite influence of folk music from the mountainous parts of america. And a third big influence is drugs. Not the really bad stuff, but this music definitely has that dope smoker feeling of the kids in the backrow in class. On the other hand there is a very adult and mature atmosphere running through these songs. Paradox? Contradicting? Maybe, but also beautiful and lulling.