This is the self-titled debut album from Long Beach California power pop band Softjaw who feature Tanner Duffy, Dustin Lavells, Vinny Early, Daniel Mitchikoff and Graeme Whynot. The album was recorded at Dream Machine studios in Long Beach by Dustin Lovells and the a-side was mixed by Wyatt Blair and the B-side was mixed by Dustin Lovells it was mastered by J.P. Bendzinski. I might lean into the band's name and dental artwork in the review.
The album opens with Pleased With Me, you have been flossing your teeth and cleaning them properly, your reservations that you might have caries have been unproven, this jangling psychedelic indiepop will help keep you practising proper oral hygiene.
Don't Go Walking Out on him, he knows how to cure that bad breath you keep complaining about, honest he does, the reverbed guitars help him to engage more than he usually does, along with all the shimmering sounds to make you feel he means it this time.
Waiting At The End for you to flash those pearly whites at him once more, they will melt his heart like his life is a bright smile advert where super cool guitar solos are always welcome.
Dragging My Feet and refusing to go to the hygienist again, she'll never go out with you unless you get those teeth scaled and polished ready for your date, while he reflects on ancient melodies that can be used to seduce you, I wonder if they are playing one of them on this song.
Sleepy Eyes are what you have as you emerge from the orthodontist bleary eyed, after he's done his stuff, the chugging riff almost wakes you back up, the vocal harmonies are like you gargled in time to them as you were woken back up from the sedation, you'd had visions of being on the run again, cranking out the Blasters and Crazy Horse records, hoping to get that bucking bronco guitar sound down right.
I Need You to escort me home from the Ortho appointment, then hopefully you'll be his once more, this has great harmony vocals and some proper begging for that one chance, they keep shifting time signatures and channelling Big Star.
Undercover Lover isn't too be found hiding behind a rubber dam, but you might be meeting for assignations outside the Dentists, like you had a check-up, instead of going for fun and games in the local flea pit motel, but he is arguing against that, he wants more of a relationship, guitars fly off in all directions the wailing and moaning in the background add to his urgency for a solution.
The album closes with a couple of well chosen covers the first is the Paul Collins Beat classic Working Too Hard this is a fun chugger of a version, for one of those Oral surgeons who works 15 hours a day, 6 days a week and doesn't know how to slow down, which is why he is telling them to say goodbye to him, you want more from the relationship than he can ever give, he's married to the job.
They then close the album covering 23 Jewels song Playing Bogart it's not clear if he is still floating down the Chobe River on the African Queen or not, but they need to make clear they will let you know on the phone, so make sure you've brushed those chompers properly, so you too can win at life by Playing Bogart and avoiding ending up with a Soft Jaw, while making sure to own some Soft Jaw records.
Find out more at https://dandyboyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/softjaw https://shop.bachelorrecords.com/softjaw https://www.facebook.com/DandyBoyRecords
