Poet’s Tooth by Tele Novella–Album Review
Poet’s Tooth by Tele Novella–Album Review
Poet’s 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 – better known as Natalie Ribbons from her days with the former – 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 “Young & Free,” she reminds the listener that it’s never too late “to make the world brand new” despite the protracted age of our planet, “that doesn’t mean that you should keep it waiting.”
Natalie’s impressive vocal crooning leaps octaves in “Hard-Hearted Way” while lending her own harmonies and lyrically sniping a fruitless relationship. A spooky rotary organ rings in “Broomhorse,” containing hints of early psychedelia and a chorus heavily reminiscent of the Cranberries.
Ribbons once again flexes her sultry vocal abilities on “Eggs in a Basket,” anchored by a Mediterranean-tinged rhythm including congas and a groovy bass line. With a woodblock anchoring the western motif, “Vampire Cowgirl” evokes a horseback ride under the moonlight, without elucidating the vampire theme aside from its nighttime setting.
“The Unicorn” features a simplistic organ – likely the Vox from Voxtrot – with a poetic meter and cadence recalling early Bob Dylan as well as old Irish ditties. On “Rodeo Clown,” 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.
“Changeless Kingdom” 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 “Poet’s Tooth” are perhaps an acquired taste, the song pleasantly contains a vaguely tripping Mellotron-style organ and dubbed production.
Courtesy of Kill Rock Stars
“Funeral” concludes the album much as it began, with a modest nylon guitar backing up Ribbons’ supernatant singing style. While she harmonizes with her twin self, a xylophone augments the warbling song until it gradually slows to its denouement.
Poet’s Tooth shines a bright spotlight on Natalie Ribbons’ (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, à la Better Call Saul or various Coen Brothers films.
Poet’s 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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