The Snake, The Cross, The Crown
Cotton Teeth
Equal Vision Records
10 Track, 49 Minutes

When a band claims The Beatles, Radiohead, Dylan, Floyd, and Louis Armstrong as influences, one starts to wonder two things. “How the heck would such a band sound? “ and “how well do they live up to their influences?” “Pretty darn good” is the response to both questions on Cotton Teeth.

The laid back follow up to the debut Mander Salis doesn’t disappoint with twangless alt country, folk, and catchy rock and roll sing-alongs. I don’t normally dig this kind of thing, but while listening, I was reminded of a family vacation from my youth to the Canadian Rockies. I was young at the time, I missed my video games, and I wanted Disneyland, but my parents reassured me “you’ll understand when you’re older.” (They were right, I remember it like no other vacation, go if you ever get the chance.) Nevertheless, the point is, had this album come my way a few years ago, I wouldn’t have really noticed or cared and I would have settled on something with more pretty lights and colors and distortion, passing by the natural organic beauty of Cotton Teeth.

CD’s like this are why I write reviews. I got a risk free introduction to a band whose name I had heard associated with positive things, but never had time or money or an adventurous spirit for a spontaneous purchase. Cotton Teeth is near perfection.