Travis Parno
09/23/08, 10:40 AM
The Forward – Nothing But Teeth
Record Label: none
Release Date: September 9, 2008
“Indie” music wears a seemingly endless collection of masks. There’s the New Wave bunch, decked out in suits and dark charms. There’s the quirky gang that gets off on challenging eardrums and pushing envelopes. There’s the geek squad, full of whispers and black plastic-rimmed glasses. There are, of course, many more – I put “indie” in quotes because in truth, most (good) “indie” bands blend and bleed across these borders, refusing to be crammed into a stereotype. The tie that binds our beloved indie bands together is their sense of honesty, served up with a sizeable helping of panache and more than a little bit of wit.
The Forward’s debut release, Nothing But Teeth, proves that they are no exception. Formed in 2007 by vocalist/guitarist Leonard Jackson, bassist Ian Schaeffer, guitarist Greg Smith, and drummer Tom DuPree III as a vision of democratic songwriting, The Forward dedicated themselves to capturing the raw kinetics of their music in the studio. The result absolutely drips with indie quips and pleasantly sardonic moodiness, tucked neatly into a storm of dynamic riffs and raw emotion.
Nothing But Teeth steps out the shadows with “Whateverwhateverwhateverwhatever,” a grooving track full of electricity and attitude and topped off with an echoing chorus that features vocalist Leonard Jackson’s anguished cries of “No one keeps a secret anymore!” From there, it’s off to “Smoking is Sexy,” a tune that The Forward slap around with their signature brand of brash hipster swagger. It’s a fresh collection of jangling chords, sarcastic lyrics, and frenetic vocals. While it may not be easy to make heads or tails of the song’s chorus (“You take all my money and tell me no no no no/ I can’t use it the way I want to”), it’s safe to assume The Forward knows something we don’t know. The accessible pep and jubilant cool of “Trust Game” could quickly push The Forward into OK Go levels of stardom while the thoughtfulness and craft that shine through “Faking Your Death” and “Russians” defy anyone to saddle these guys with the saccharine ‘Flavor of the Week’ title.
There are, unfortunately, a number of misses sprinkled throughout the hits. “Touch” brings a healthy dose of enthusiasm and some slick verses, but stumbles through a rather dreary chorus. The next track, “Before the Before Long,” suffers similar shortcomings, but without the infectious energy. “The Last Summer” seems like it could come have close to the agitated edginess achieved by much of Nothing But Teeth, but somewhere along the line the message was garbled and the song emerges with a bit too much empty dissonance and eager angst. In an effort to rock an anxious beat, the band lost their dedicated musical touch and the song simply falls flat.
Despite it’s flaws, Nothing But Teeth rips onto the scene and its in-your-face, gritty vibe is tough to ignore. The Forward has already begun to make waves, scoring major news articles (LA Times) and appearances in sitcom soundtracks (ABC Family’s Greek). It’s not hard to see why. Although it’s rather rough around the edges, this fresh mask on the face of indie music has the integrity part down, with a jaunty attitude to match.
Ok Go, Hot Hot Heat, Silversun Pickups, Shout Out Louds
Official Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/theforwardmusic)
1. Whateverwhateverwhateverwhatever
2. Smoking is Sexy
3. Touch
4. Before the Before Long
5. Leviathan
6. The Last Summer
7. Trust Game
8. Faking Your Death
9. Con Man
10. Russians
Record Label: none
Release Date: September 9, 2008
“Indie” music wears a seemingly endless collection of masks. There’s the New Wave bunch, decked out in suits and dark charms. There’s the quirky gang that gets off on challenging eardrums and pushing envelopes. There’s the geek squad, full of whispers and black plastic-rimmed glasses. There are, of course, many more – I put “indie” in quotes because in truth, most (good) “indie” bands blend and bleed across these borders, refusing to be crammed into a stereotype. The tie that binds our beloved indie bands together is their sense of honesty, served up with a sizeable helping of panache and more than a little bit of wit.
The Forward’s debut release, Nothing But Teeth, proves that they are no exception. Formed in 2007 by vocalist/guitarist Leonard Jackson, bassist Ian Schaeffer, guitarist Greg Smith, and drummer Tom DuPree III as a vision of democratic songwriting, The Forward dedicated themselves to capturing the raw kinetics of their music in the studio. The result absolutely drips with indie quips and pleasantly sardonic moodiness, tucked neatly into a storm of dynamic riffs and raw emotion.
Nothing But Teeth steps out the shadows with “Whateverwhateverwhateverwhatever,” a grooving track full of electricity and attitude and topped off with an echoing chorus that features vocalist Leonard Jackson’s anguished cries of “No one keeps a secret anymore!” From there, it’s off to “Smoking is Sexy,” a tune that The Forward slap around with their signature brand of brash hipster swagger. It’s a fresh collection of jangling chords, sarcastic lyrics, and frenetic vocals. While it may not be easy to make heads or tails of the song’s chorus (“You take all my money and tell me no no no no/ I can’t use it the way I want to”), it’s safe to assume The Forward knows something we don’t know. The accessible pep and jubilant cool of “Trust Game” could quickly push The Forward into OK Go levels of stardom while the thoughtfulness and craft that shine through “Faking Your Death” and “Russians” defy anyone to saddle these guys with the saccharine ‘Flavor of the Week’ title.
There are, unfortunately, a number of misses sprinkled throughout the hits. “Touch” brings a healthy dose of enthusiasm and some slick verses, but stumbles through a rather dreary chorus. The next track, “Before the Before Long,” suffers similar shortcomings, but without the infectious energy. “The Last Summer” seems like it could come have close to the agitated edginess achieved by much of Nothing But Teeth, but somewhere along the line the message was garbled and the song emerges with a bit too much empty dissonance and eager angst. In an effort to rock an anxious beat, the band lost their dedicated musical touch and the song simply falls flat.
Despite it’s flaws, Nothing But Teeth rips onto the scene and its in-your-face, gritty vibe is tough to ignore. The Forward has already begun to make waves, scoring major news articles (LA Times) and appearances in sitcom soundtracks (ABC Family’s Greek). It’s not hard to see why. Although it’s rather rough around the edges, this fresh mask on the face of indie music has the integrity part down, with a jaunty attitude to match.
Ok Go, Hot Hot Heat, Silversun Pickups, Shout Out Louds
Official Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/theforwardmusic)
1. Whateverwhateverwhateverwhatever
2. Smoking is Sexy
3. Touch
4. Before the Before Long
5. Leviathan
6. The Last Summer
7. Trust Game
8. Faking Your Death
9. Con Man
10. Russians