The six songs on
Call & Response's
Tiger Teeth EP were cut as demos for Emperor Norton in 2002. The group never got a response from the label and when their contract with them ran out, the band owned the masters. By then they had moved on to the more pastoral and mellow sounds of 2004's
Winds Take No Shape and the recordings were anachronistic. In 2004 Badman decided the songs should be given an airing and fans of the band should be overjoyed. The songs are more mature and organic sounding than the group's first album but they retain much of the bounce that had disappeared by the time of
Winds. Songs like "Tiger Teeth," "Little Noises" and "Connection" bubble and groove as well as anything on the debut. Only the introspective "Curves in a Straight Line" shows any indication of the direction the band would be taking. Although the songs sound slightly unfinished at times,
Tiger Teeth is an important and enjoyable release from one of the most enjoyable indie pop bands around. ~ Tim Sendra