Wrister - "Different Teeth" | Premiere

(Artwork by Sara Legel)

When Wrister put out their debut record in December of last year, it affirmed my opinion that anything over three minutes is prog rock. "Flowers On The Fault" is a raucous, unabashed ode to feeling complacent and looking for an out. It is two minutes of thrashing drums and jangly guitars that felt like a drop-out anthem. While Wrister's debut album Different Teeth feels like a party record with its loud instrumentation, it's more like a heartfelt conversation in the kitchen while the party goes on around.

The record has the band looking for a place to connect, to relate, and to belong, beer-cracking sound effects and all. The album's second single "Lack of Truth" is an earnest look at trying to cut through the noise and uneasiness and find their base. As it progresses, Different Teeth gives way to subtler moments on songs like "Driver" or "Headlights" — the brashness opens up to allow for honesty. I personally love when big loud instruments are met with heart-on-your-sleeve lyrics. "Headlights" does both with its Paul Westerberg-esque retrospection. The closer's acoustic guitar seems out of place on the record, but Wrister doesn't leave you hanging with a ballad, exploding into one final cacophonous chorus before fading to nothing.

Wrister manages to tap into those feelings you have in your early and mid-twenties, during which we start to become ourselves. We've probably picked up a few scars here and there, are starting to cut our teeth, and are looking to carve out our spots in the world. The band gets into the not-so-fun, gritty parts that happen when we come of age and turn it into a moment to scream along to or be swallowed by the roar like a fuzzy blanket.

Pete Sands, guitarist and vocalist for Wrister, said in a statement that the record is an exploration of what makes a person unique:

"With Different Teeth, we were trying to conceptualize what makes us distinct on a societal level, while realizing that we share some sort of human experience with others. In some ways, teeth are indicative of status and commonly associated with time. There’s something unique about a person’s teeth. We all have these different experiences that shape the way we see things, and the older we get, the more definitive our perceptions of these experiences become. Whether you’re feeling like you’ve peaked musically, confronting relationship issues, persuading someone that they’re mistaken, trying to find desire, facing loss, seeking the truth, saying your goodbyes, or running through a pool of blood... this was made so that we could relate."

Different Teeth is out on February 28, 2020, via Brace Cove Records. However, you can listen to the entire album before then down below.