American Teeth - We Should Be Having Fun (2021)

AMERICAN TEETH is the alter ego of Elijah Noll. Hailing from Portland, Maine, but living in Los Angeles, he’s released a handful of songs which have accrued over two million streams so far and have landed him a coveted spot on Alternative Press‘ 100 Artists You Need To Know list. He’s also apparently a cyborg, with a mechanical heart valve that he’s had since he was a teenager to replace a faulty valve that he was born with. His debut album, We Should Be Having Fun, was produced by Colin Brittain, who has worked with respected names like ONE OK ROCK and PAPA ROACH amongst others. Does it live up to the hype?

This album is a fun and energetic one. First song Love Myself is very reminiscent of ONE OK ROCK, albeit more on the electronic side of things. Glue which follows sounds completely different; a synth number that would no doubt fit on mainstream radio. The changing genres would be enough to give anyone whiplash. However, the production is fantastic, so this is not an issue. Furthermore, Glue has such a catchy chorus that will be stuck in your head ‘like glue’.

Things mellow down a little on One Of Those Days. However, it suits the mood of the song, which describes “one of those days” where you just don’t feel like doing anything. There is a hint of rock in the background as one of the lyrics is screamed. The genre-jumping continues with Tongue, which is an acoustic song that demands to played blasting through the speakers. Strangely enough, the pacing of the album is not affected by the different genres; if anything, it benefits from them, leaving the audience wondering what will be next.