Dentist – Skin Back Alley

Photos: Matthew Lyons

New Jersey indie surf-rock outfit Dentist have announced that their new album, Night Swimming, will be released on the 20th of July via Cleopatra Records.

The band have also shared the first single from the album, titled “Corked.” You can listen to the track below.

“This album was an attempt to capture all the different aspects of ourselves and create something that we would want to listen to,” says guitarist and songwriter Justin Bornemann. “Musically we are attracted to rawness and simplicity, but melodically we lean towards a pop aesthetic. The lyrics tend to be focused on social anxiety, heartache and loss, but sometimes reveal love and optimism,” adds vocalist, bassist and songwriter Emily Bornemann.

Showcasing the bands ability to fit pop hooks into aggressive garage punk one moment, then dreamy surf pop the next, the album is cohesive but represents an exercise in capturing all aspects of Dentist’s personality.

Rounded out by Matt Hockenjos on drums, Night Swimming was produced by Andy Bova and Justin Bornemann, and was mastered by Jürgen Engler (Die Krupps, Nico, Iggy and The Stooges, Queensryche).

Night Swimming tracklist:

01. Upset Words
02. Night Swimming
03. Alone In The Garden
04. OH
05. Tight Spot
06. Remind Me
07. Figure-four
08. All Is Well (In Hell)
09. Corked
10. Owl Doom Pt. 2
11. The Latter

You can pre-order Night Swimming now via Bandcamp.

Photos: Dentist/Cool Dad

Without a song throws a spotlight on bands, albums and tracks beloved of Skin Back Alley. Old, new, classic or cutting edge, our aim is to share good music that has touched us through the years.

Dentist have nothing to do with dentistry (as far as I know.) And their song ‘Awful’ really isn’t awful. Talk about confusing.

What certainly isn’t confusing, however, is their dreamy, fuzzed-up, blissed-out surf-rock. I fell over it courtesy of a Soundcloud algorithm that lumped Dentist in with another band whose single left me entirely indifferent. I simply forgot to click the ‘Stop’ icon on the automatically generated playlist. Isn’t technology great?!

BAM. Suddenly it was 1 a.m. and I had deliberately listened to ‘Awful’s’ parent album, Ceilings, three times in a row.

But enough about my serendipitous evening of rock joy. Listen to ‘Awful’ via the stream below. Because it’s bloody great.

“’Awful’ is about not being able to choose who you love, and ultimately being stuck with them.” says Emily of the song. “Sometimes they don’t notice you the way you’d like, or put the effort in that you’d like, so you’re left saying,’I never wanted it to be you.’ It’s a very heat of the moment song possibly following an argument.”

Dentist are Emily Bornemann (vocals and rhythm guitar), Justin Bornean (lead guitar), Nick Kaelblein (bass) and Rudy Meier (drums).

Ceilings is out now.

01. “Climbed Too Many Trees”
02. “Awful”
03. “Meet You There (In Delaware)”
04. “Over and Over”
05. “Body Slam (Move)”
06. “Joel”
07. “You’re A Bore”
08. “You Say”
09. “Air Vent”
10. “Digging up the Dog”