Dentist is a Jersey indie surf-pop that is gaining a lot of popularity, especially with the release of their new album Night Swimming. The band’s sound is retro, nostalgic, even. From the unique musings of Emily Bornemann and the surf-style guitar riffs, Dentist offers something that most bands today don’t, a delicate blend of old and new.
One of the most striking aspects of the album and perhaps Dentist as a whole is Bornemann’s rather unusually beautiful voice. She takes great pride in her lyrics, discussing such daunting subjects as social anxiety and love problems. The lyrics are incredibly honest throughout Night Swimming and one of my favorites is “Upset Words.” The upbeat tempo and loud brashness of the music contrast the rather sweet vocalizations. That type of contrast spans all of the songs.
The title track on Dentist’s Night Swimming is one of the songs detailing Bornemann’s social anxiety. This is perhaps the most interesting and diverse musically. There is a lot of depth created with the added harmonics and heavy rhythm work. “Night Swimming” is dreamy and nostalgic yet tense and aggressive. This similar quality can be found on the song “Corked”, only it has a more ’90s sound aesthetic.
Dentist Will Be Your Summer Soundtrack
While the album is full of great dancing songs, they all seem to hit the same mark. The same subjects are discussed in pretty much every song on Night Swimming. The benefit of this is that the band does them really well and as a listener, you don’t really mind. Every song will make you want to get up and dance. I mean, who doesn’t love surf rock?
This is a great summer album. Dentist is becoming more and more an innovator in the ever-evolving musical world. Their newest album is sure to please most listeners because it was made for the sake of the band’s interests.