Teeth Out and Straight On Til Morning – Straight X Teeth 7″ (Various Labels)

It has been a while since we talked about some split recordings here, and our dear friend from Engineer Records sent us a fine piece of plastic, so we could change the tradition of not covering split releases so often. “Straight X Teeth” is a convenient way to meet two excellent bands, if you aren’t already familiar with them, of course. It’s a perfect taster of what both Teeth Out and Straight On Til Morning have to offer, without busting a piggy bank. The best part about it is that both bands sound exceptional, and you should take a deep dive into their discographies and support them as much as you can. “Straight X Teeth” captures the spirit of modern East Coast skate punk, melodic punk rock, and pop-punk in the best possible way. Both bands sound outstanding on this piece of plastic, proving that the punk rock scene still has so many things to say without sounding pretentious, repetitive, predictable, or bland. If you like what you hear here, make sure to check both Teeth Out and Straight On Til Morning on their social media pages and fully support them by buying their records and merch.

Teeth Out opens up the A-side with “Tonight,” a perfect pop-punk song that will immediately penetrate your listening apparatus and refuse to let go long after this split ends. The band poured heart and soul into this composition, and it’s vividly hearable from scratch to finish. You’ll stumble upon all those catchy, memorable, engaging, captivating power chords and palm-muted riffs, heavily drenched in generous servings of distortion. Still, you’ll hear all those themes, melodies, and harmonies delivered by the lead guitar. This interplay between various guitar layers not only creates a lush ambiance that wraps around the listening apparatus but also a perfect backdrop for the vocals to shine upon. Speaking of the vocals, it’s another quality that makes this song so appealing to the ears. Besides incredible lead vocals, which definitely provide emotional depth, melody, and complexity, you’ll also notice how back vocals add more depth and detail in all the right places. If you crave a proper skate punk experience, then“For Your Life” will be right up your alley. Empowered by energetic, dynamic, well-accentuated, flawlessly performed beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics and groovy, deep, warm-sounding basslines, this composition showcases Teeth Out as an entirely different beast, one built upon perfect only the finest elements borrowed from the late nineties and early noughties skate punk sound. Both instruments contribute all the groove and pace this song needs, while keeping those excellent guitar riffs in line. It’s a proper banger you need on your playlist. Straight On Til Morning delivers one composition on their side, and it’s a song that will immediately appeal to all those listeners who love technically demanding pop punk from the bottom of their hearts. The lead vocalist handles all those incredible guitar works by balancing low, mid, and high notes with such precision and finesse, emphasizing everything the remainder of the band intended to achieve with this song. “All 4 Nothing” is one of those songs where guitars shine in the limelight all the time. On one side, you’ll notice marvelous themes, melodies, and harmonies, while all those powerful riffs resonate on the other side, immensely supporting everything. Straight On Til Morning thought about everything while writing, composing, arranging, and producing this song, so you’ll hear “All 4 Nothing” arrive with a perfect structure, decorated with many clever arrangements, profoundly detailed segments, brilliant ideas, and outstanding musicianship. Besides guitar, the bass plays a significant role in delivering that intricate and groovy sound. Although carefully tucked beneath guitars, it still gives a decent punch and immensely supports guitars. The additional piano themes at the end of the song are such a nice touch, making “All 4 Nothing” even more luxuriant. Last but not least, you can hear how the excellent drummer keeps the remainder of the band in line with all those steady, mid-tempo rhyhtmic patterns. Every hit of the snare, kick of the bass drum, accentuations over hi-hat, and splashes over cymbals has its place and purpose here. Such an excellent song worth repeating again.

Therefore, if you’re curious what’s happening on an East Coast melodic punk rock scene right now, you should definitely go ahead and purchase this excellent split release. Both Teeth Out and Straight On Til Morning poured heart and soul into these songs, and their raw, unfiltered emotion and incredible musicianship are vividly hearable here. It’s one of those split records you do not want to miss. Head to Engineer Records for more information about ordering.