The Dentists - You and Your Bloody Oranges

Spruck Records

The world of alternative rock is no stranger to the spirit of compacted teenage rage fests that seem to possess every artist that calls the genre home at least once in their lives. And while over-saturated this form of adolescent appeal is, there still remain a few good bands whose disillusionment goes unheard. One of these bands is The Dentists.

Contradictingly, The Dentists are not an angry band. Their songs outside of 1985's "You and Your Bloody Oranges" generally concern themselves with easier sailed seas, and they follow in the footsteps of groups like the Jam and the Replacements as opposed to early Clash or Husker Du. They have easily condensed all of their pent-up rage onto one EP for your easily-consumed listening pleasure.

"You and Your Bloody Oranges" leans closer to a more traditional New Wave/Alternative sound then you would expect with such a frustrated title, with most tracks having a jumpy, almost frantic energy to them to compliment the minimal punk leanings. Opening track "Pallino" is comfortably circular, with frittery guitar and mechanic vocals.

"The Best of Everything" gives way for more melodic tastes and "Younger then Yesterday" era Byrds psychedelia, with plucky bass lines and multi-tracked vocals to keep things interesting. The following codeine-cruiser "I Can See Your House from Up Here" grants access to a reedy, reflective side of the group, but it drags towards the end and long overstays its welcome.

The songs on the EP that best demonstrate the aforementioned "compacted teenage rage fests" are the searing, Joy Division-influenced "My Friends in the Best of Circles" and mod-revival reminiscent "Where's My Chicken, You Bastard?". "My Friends" remains a strong point on the EP, but "Where's My Chicken" is rather too standard, and the vocals fall just a bit too flat to be entertaining.

For a record by such a low caliber band released on such a small label, the release is surprisingly well produced and contains considerably well-written lyrics (especially on "Something That Will Never Happen", nearly on par with "Village Green" era Kinks). The only thing it lacks is sufficient enough hooks to push it over the edge and into perfection.