Search - Grates :: Teeth Lost Hearts Won (Dig)

A great sophomore followup from this Australian indie band.

Pen Name | Fairbanks, Alaska | 09/15/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the North American release of The Grates' second album, following their debut Gravity Won't Get You High. They are a three-piece indie/pop/rock/light punk band from Australia whose songs are fueled by a great deal of energy, with catchy melodies and raw vocals. While virtually unknown in North America, they observe a moderate amount of fame in their native Australia, where "Teeth" was released almost a year ago. I stumbled upon one of their songs by accident, and quickly developed an affinity for the group after listening to the rest of their debut album. Although I was skeptical at first, after listening to Teeth Lost, Hearts Won many more times over the last several months, I've really developed an appreciation for it, and consider it to be an even better release than Gravity Won't Get You High.



Upon first hearing a song by The Grates, it's hard to believe that this band is made up of just three people. That's probably because their songs have so much energy in them. I've never been to one of their live shows, but I can imagine fans are bouncing off the walls almost as much as it sounds like lead singer Patience Hodgson is when she's singing. Drums handled by Alana Skyring sound just as enthusiastic, and complement Hodson's vocals very well. "Teeth" is a little more diverse than "Gravity," with apparently more attention devoted to it lyrically, and a more complicated sound among the ballads (if they can be called that). While I do have favorites, there are no songs on this album that I dislike, and I'm perfectly content with listening to it striaght through without pressing the skip button.



"Burn Bridges" is the lead single and a great way to start the album. If you've never heard a song by The Grates, start here for a good introduction. "Carve Your Name" is my favorite song on the album. Very similar to "Burn Bridges" in musical style. "The Fun in Every Start" is a short 45 second vocal and piano interlude. I usually hate it when bands do this kind of stuff and call them "throwaway tracks," but this is more of an actual song, and a good setup to the next track, it's just extremely short.



"Two Kinds of Right" - I have no idea what this song is about or what it's supposed to convey, but I like the melody and lyrics. Same with "Aw Yeah," which is very playful and ubeat. "Milk Eyes" is another favorite of mine and I don't know what the message is here either, but I like the rhythm and way the lyrics come together.



"The Sum of Every Part" and "Storms and Fevers" are where the album starts getting a little "deeper" and more "ballady." Patience slows down her vocals on these two, and then ramps them up into high gear with "Earthquake" and "Let it Die."



I am not a music critic and I don't really know how to properly write a review of a CD, I just know what I like, and I am really looking forward to more music from The Grates. I have looked at the lyrics for all of the songs on this album and there isn't a single one that makes any kind of sense to me, but that is okay, because the music is so infectious that I don't care. I can listen to the album over and over again and not get tired of it. While I would say that their music is an acquired taste, and won't be getting Top 40 playtime anytime soon, it does have its niche, and if you liked Gravity Won't Get You High, you should like this CD as well."