Tooth - 'The Age of Innocence'
A voice ripping at the edge, cutting through the mix with heart-wrenching emotion, it’s what made Tooth’s debut ‘The Age of Innocence’ a stand out garage rock track to me.
Their first is driven by fast strumming guitar lines and a thumping rhythm that colours its soundscape, together bringing a musical palette brimming with urgency. Tooth have set the bar high opening their musical catalogue with such a soaring release, and it’s already made me ache for more. The single comes with the band’s first music video, directed and edited by Hermione Sylvester, who’s perfectly translated the meaning behind the track into a video that showcases the band performing live as well as straight into the camera. The ferocity behind its vocal delivery is what makes this such a powerful release and one that’s hard to come by.
Talking about their youth, love and broken hearts, Tooth share a narrative I’m rather familiar with, making this a track that is relatable and a powerful statement of intent. They’re not shying away from what’s confusing, sometimes painful, yet beautiful, something they don’t just showcase through their lyrics, but also through its guitar-heavy soundscape. Singer Tom Pollock elaborates on the track’s coming about; “it was written almost as an epilogue for my adolescence, I was almost 18 and could feel this restless and confused teenage chapter of my life slowly coming to a close. I realised how clueless I was as a teenager, but also how much fun I’d had. I think the lyrics reflect that duality and fondly reminisce on a period of life that can’t be experienced again. I think, for all of us, this song felt like the start and the end of something indefinable.”
Over the past few years, the London-based quartet have been honing their craft and have fast become one of the most talked-about bands on the scene through riotous live shows and brimming garage rock. Their debut single delivers on their early hype, co-created with a team of impressive names, it’s followed by a sold out London headline, the So Young Weekender in Southampton and an appearance in Dublin for Borderline Festival. Tooth are clearly ready to ramp up and hit the ground running, with ‘The Age of Innocence’ being the perfect starting point!
Words by Laura Rosierse
