Album Review: Mom Jeans - Sweet Tooth

Mom Jeans have taken a delve into the infectiously sweet sound of 90’s rock and pop-punk for their latest album Sweet Tooth. Drawing from the likes of Blink-182 and Fall Out Boy, Mom Jeans bring these influences into their midwestern emo leaning sound and, most importantly, have fun doing so. Playing the field between witty and tongue-in-cheek humour and more serious moments discussing mental health and relationships, Sweet Tooth is an elegantly crafted statement of Mom Jeans’ sound and stance as a band.

Sweet Tooth is dominated with lyrical twists and turns that work alongside the overall upbeat pop-punk sound to create strikingly catchy melodies. The opening track ‘Something Sweet’ promises to get stuck in your head with the brutally comic hook ‘give me something sweet so I can make it through the week / don’t care if I end up with cavities’ pulsing throughout the chorus. The almost groovy guitar melody that carries each pre-chorus works like ear candy.

Mom Jeans do not shy away from communicating their more vulnerable sides in Sweet Tooth

Throughout Sweet Tooth, Mom Jeans balance these fun witticisms that call to the likes of the 90’s pop-punk of Blink-182 with more serious themes of mental health. This carries over into tracks such as ‘What’s Up?’ with the upbeat rhythms and hooking rhymes of honest sentiments such as ‘I’m pretending that I’m fine when I’m feeling lousy all the time.’ Similarly, the frustration at fractured communication in ‘Anime Theme Song’ is carried with the playfulness of melodic patterns and chanting vocals that sound like they could in fact be pulled right out of a mid-00’s anime soundtrack.

It is this idea of communication that pierces throughout the bones of Sweet Tooth. From the declaration of ‘if you’re feeling insecure, I know exactly what to say’ in the romantic statement of the bold and energetic ‘Hippo in the Water’ to the slower and more laidback declaration of romance and belonging in ‘Circus Clown,’ Mom Jeans do not shy away from communicating their more vulnerable sides in Sweet Tooth. ‘Circus Clown’ is a particularly fun filled sentimental expression of simply just wanting to spend all your time with someone.

Yet, if Mom Jeans called for sweetness in opening track ‘Something Sweet,’ the mid-point of the albums sees them hitting a peak in ‘Sugar Rush.’ The track leans more towards isolated guitar patterns than previous songs so far, and eventually build through with a bursting of drums, guitars and trumpets to a euphoric chanting of ‘just take a few deep breaths and try the best to regain your head.’ ‘Sugar Rush’ feels like a euphoric ending, but leaves the rest of the album to follow in its wake.

It is in this following portion of the album that I think it slightly dips in energy. ‘Graduating Life’ is a stripped back moment that pulls Mom Jeans back into the Midwestern emo sound, leaning towards elements of folk within the instrumentation. Equally the slower and more melodic ‘Tie Dye Acid Trip’ features a leaning into psychedelic moments that prove fruitful and exciting, but serve as a bold contrast from the bursting fun energy of earlier tracks.

Sweet Tooth balances together ideas of vulnerability and humour, whilst wittily weaving saccharine ideas throughout the tracks

This is not to say that these moments lack in any way, merely that they serve as a turning point. Sugar is demanded, but over consumption leads to depletion. Easily the most self-confrontational tracks of the album, closing songs ‘Ten Minutes’ and ‘Teeth’ take this idea face on. As the closing track lulls along with a grooving guitar pattern, the final sentiment of ‘you were everything to me and now you’re just cavities’ poignantly concludes the journey of love and emotional vulnerability that Sweet Tooth takes you on.

Ultimately, Sweet Tooth balances together ideas of vulnerability and humour, whilst wittily weaving saccharine ideas throughout the tracks. That being said, Mom Jeans are at their best in Sweet Tooth, for me, when they delve headfirst into this sweetness and draw upon these nostalgic late 90’s radio rock influences. The ear candy and playfulness that they experiment with is delectable and serves to make Sweet Tooth a really exciting record for the band.