King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard in Cleveland ā Concert Review
- Bill Kurzenberger
Poetās Tooth is the third album by Lockhart, Texas-based group Tele Novella, newly released this October on Kill Rock Stars and Bandcamp. Borne of the Austin music scene from the ashes of bands Agent Ribbons and Voxtrot, Tele Novella features vocalist Natalie Gordon ā better known as Natalie Ribbons from her days with the former ā and multi-instrumentalist Jason Chronis from the latter, with Danny Reisch providing auxiliary drums and percussion.
The album starts on a mellow note with sedated acoustic guitar finger-picking and amiable vocals by Ribbons. On āYoung & Free,ā she reminds the listener that itās never too late āto make the world brand newā despite the protracted age of our planet, āthat doesnāt mean that you should keep it waiting.ā
Natalieās impressive vocal crooning leaps octaves in āHard-Hearted Wayā while lending her own harmonies and lyrically sniping a fruitless relationship. A spooky rotary organ rings in āBroomhorse,ā containing hints of early psychedelia and a chorus heavily reminiscent of the Cranberries.
Ribbons once again flexes her sultry vocal abilities on āEggs in a Basket,ā anchored by a Mediterranean-tinged rhythm including congas and a groovy bass line. With a woodblock anchoring the western motif, āVampire Cowgirlā evokes a horseback ride under the moonlight, without elucidating the vampire theme aside from its nighttime setting.
āThe Unicornā features a simplistic organ ā likely the Vox from Voxtrot ā with a poetic meter and cadence recalling early Bob Dylan as well as old Irish ditties. On āRodeo Clown,ā the group continues to present a minimalist instrumentation, consisting of only nylon acoustic guitar and a single occasional drum, as Gordon resumes harmonizing with herself in a duet.
āChangeless Kingdomā features an electric guitar staccato picking to a Tex-Mex rhythm, with dramatic flourishes on the refrains. While the voiced acrobatics in the title track āPoetās Toothā are perhaps an acquired taste, the song pleasantly contains a vaguely tripping Mellotron-style organ and dubbed production.
āFuneralā concludes the album much as it began, with a modest nylon guitar backing up Ribbonsā supernatant singing style. While she harmonizes with her twin self, a xylophone augments the warbling song until it gradually slows to its denouement.
Poetās Tooth shines a bright spotlight on Natalie Ribbonsā (nee Gordon) modestly striking voice, supplanted by unique, quirky balladry. The halcyon album relies heavily on her vocal talents, typically with minimalist accompaniment devoid of instrumental leads or rhythm section. Tele Novella serves up the breezy, sedated, slow-cooked recipe of mid-20th century small-town Texas from a feminine perspective. With meandering downbeat rhythms that recall horseback rides and picturesque Southwestern sunsets, several songs would be fitting background music in neo-noir movies or television shows set in U.S. desert regions, Ć la Better Call Saul or various Coen Brothers films.
Poetās Tooth on Bandcamp:
https://telenovella.bandcamp.com/album/poets-tooth
Tele Novella on Kill Rock Stars:
https://killrockstars.com/pages/tele-novella
Kill Rock Stars’ Tele Novella playlist on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6KwzgIePF4BuaOzmCOyxkQWadVYx7aP0
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