The Rubber Teeth Talk by Daisy the Great

You may remember Daisy the Great from when their 2023 sophomore album, All You Need Is Time, was (#29 on that year’s Top 31). I’m excited to report that their follow-up, The Rubber Teeth Talk has the band focusing in on what they do best, to great effect. When I wrote about their last album, I dubbed the band “First Aid Kit without the twang.” But I don’t know if that description holds true.

The pop-songs-with-great-hooks mentality is there, same as it always was. But the depth of Daisy the Great’s lyrics and the skill with which they execute their songwriting has become richer, sharpened to a fine point. When I listen to the album, I can tell something has changed that brought out this new feeling, but I couldn’t point at anything in particular and say “there – that’s why it’s better.” However, while researching for this review, I discovered one wonderful reason: DtG brought in the big guns to produce this record. Catherine Marks, who co-produced my #1 album of 2023, boygenius’s the record, figured out how to bring out the best of lead singers Kelley Dugan and Mina Walker and their quirky, wonderful harmonies.

Beyond the harmonies, Dugan and Walker know how to craft a hook. The opening track on the album, “Dog” (featured above), a listen. That, and “Mary’s at the Carnival,” are solid indie-rock gems. “Ballerina” is fun and makes me bounce off the walls, a rocking Courtney Barnett-esque song from another dimension

“Bird Bones,” with its repeating chorus “She was just back in town, where’s my friend where is she now” sounds innocent enough, until you realize they’re singing a heart wrenching line about a lost friend. The caption accompanying the instagram post about the song said “written in memory of our dear friend, Stephanie Rae Shafir, who passed away Feb 26, 2023. All of the drawings in the video are hers.”

I love that Dugan and Walker are starting to explore more interesting / trippy ways to build out their dual voices. They’re becoming masters of a musical technique called “hocket,” which is difficult to describe in words (and equally difficult to perform, I’d wager) but easy to understand when you see if performed. Check out their cover of Suzanne Vega’s venerable 80s song, “Tom’s Diner,” and you’ll get it immediately immediately. I had the immense pleasure of getting to hear them perform the song live, back in September.

The energy and excitement Daisy the Great bring to indie rock is infectious. I can’t wait to hear what they do next.