3 out of 5

Label: Our Rekords

Produced by: (?)

Serafin’s debut album definitely came out of an age of Hives and similar rockers, borne from the ashes of grungesters Stony Sleep – lead Ben Fox Smith’s former band – which meant that Dave Sardy’s production of the album was pure singledom: every song rocked, with a thick bass and drumline, and Ben Fox’s warble was played against meaty riffs and encouraged to a howl here and there. It’s a mixed bag of 90s and 00s angst, pared down to perfect singles.

And then label woes. Stuck without a home, and no longer paired with a superstar producer, Serafin’s songwriting chops are still plenty apparent, and there’s kind of a ramshackle loosesness perhaps due to these removed expectations as well: To the Teeth seethes with nervous, punky energy. New drummer Shian Smith-Pancorvo relies a bit more on standard fills, and the band somewhat follows suit – bridges take expected routes and songs feel a bit more spread out, but this rolls with the organic and more contemplative sound and themes.

The album also runs out of steam, though. In part because the mastering of this thing is non-existent – expect to turn it up to three times your normal volume, and still strain to hear the different levels – and in part because Smith begins composing more toward an indie jangle style and less grungey, with the latter influence pushed to the front of the disc; it’s easy to tune out after the midway point.

Still, for those that followed Stony Sleep to Serafin (and on to other linked projects), the core sound of the group is intact for the most part, though the immediacy of their hooks are a bit more limited.