Cd review, Hands and Teeth review: "Hunting Season"

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Hands and Teeth Cd review (released January 17, 2012)


By Jaymin Proulx

Rated: 4/5 stars

For a third release from Toronto natives, “Hands and Teeth,” this album showcases a hybrid of sound that isn’t too typical on most albums. They stray, they change and they diverge: yet always come back to the point of beginning that makes their sound unique. Their cohesion in playing together, as well as bringing their experience from other bands that the members are involved with, make this third album , Hunting Season encompass a lot of quiet, determined energy and joyous vigour.



The five piece band consists of Kevin Black (vocals, guitar) and Jeff Pinto (vocals, keys, and guitar). Adam Kolubinski, Derek Monson and Natasha Pasternak also play in the band.

Their earlier albums included Enjoy Your Lifestyle (released October 2010) and Shine On (December 2010).

When interviewed by Natascha Malta of Music Vice, a online music website, the title of their band came to question. What was the reasoning for calling themselves “Hands & Teeth,” Malta asked?

“You might be surprised to hear this, but no we didn’t (call ourselves after a teen zombie book titled “In the Forest of Hands and Teeth”). We didn’t know (the book) existed. I had a song of my own called “Hands and Teeth” and we were choosing names. We had a series of pretty bad ones. Kevin just suggested that one night at a bar and everybody loved it. Everyone except for Tash. She thought it sounded, interestingly enough, too masculine and too violent. We did an informal text survey to all our friends and finally convinced her to do it. We had to promise not to make the font too bold- that was her only condition for accepting it. It’s not too bold is it?” Pinto inquisitively asks.

Not at all. Though their name implies a focus on dexterity and dental care (no pun intended), their music is not too masculine or violent at all. In fact, with the first song, “It’s Coming Back,” the lyrics project existentialism.

“The skin on my bones/I feel, is hardly my own/I hide in the dark/Here in the cobwebs though my home”.

“It’s Coming Back,” continues with an uplift of jingling vocals by Pasternak and rings beautifully throughout the set.

The second song continues the men and Pasternak, but with more guitar and more assurance. Their guitars are more choppy and gritty: like a punk rock song layered with a folksy background.

Pasternak’s vocals continue solidly with “Le Petit Voleur” (or little thief). She has such an iridescent voice that any weight with instruments would destroy her purity and melody. She is definitely no frailty on “Hands & Teeth.”

Garage rock ensues with “Sound of Hamilton,” a fuzzy and distorted low-fi home-hitter. The rest of the album, up to “Song 8” remains like this, but the final song is a little different and unique. It’s a nice closure to a well-crafted album and closes the curtain for the Toronto band.

“This is my skin holding me/ keeping my blood off the street,” the members sing. And with the interconnected weave of this album, the members won’t have to worry about blood on their hands (or street for that matter).

“Hands & Teeth” have a busy line up this spring. They heading to Austin, Texas for South By Southeast (from March 10-20, 2012), then coming back to Canadian territory for Canadian Music Week for a March 22 show at Sneaky Dee’s.

For more information on Hands & Teeth, visit handsandteeth.com or myspace.com/handsandteethmusic.com