
Quite often, those festivals featured sweet indie rock bands. They weren't big names but they did make people dance and smile. There was nothing complex, nothing unique and nothing overwhelming about those bands but still they easily managed to get the audience shake their behinds.
I like to compare American trio Dentist to some of those bands, playing on a Saturday afternoon on a sunlit meadow. Like them, the music that Dentist delivers is straightforward. The songs are short. The atmosphere is friendly. Fronted by Emily Bornemann, Dentist simply delivers pure joy, inspired by everything between indie pop, punk, alternative rock, shoegaze, surf rock and jangle pop. Opening with the uplifting 'Upset Words', this album is a nice collection of summery rock tunes, not too complex, not too clean either. Just rock 'n roll.
Of course, being a female fronted band clearly drives Dentist towards the "sweet" and somewhat innocent side of the rock spectrum. It will probably not be a surprise that bands like Belly or The Breeders come to mind. Another big influence must have been The Pixies. I recognize those gritty guitar lines and those intense outbursts here and there, especially on rockers like 'Tight Spot' or 'Remind Me'.
So, if you're nostalgic to those brilliant nineties, this album is your chance to relive the whole thing. Even the gloomy, grungy side is represented in the sad ballad 'All Is Well (In Hell'). I guess this is one of those albums to show to people who say "they don't make good rock music anymore". Dentist proves that sweet, simple pop rock is far from dead and I couldn't be happier about that. So check it out, you'll end up smiling from ear to ear...
Serge