Album Review

Tellison – Freud Links The Teeth And The Heart

• 28th May 2012

Freud Links The Teeth And The Heart is an offbeat little ditty that is a lot of fun. It demonstrates that there is a lighter side to London indie rockers Tellison– and the video is pretty good too.

This is a remixed version of a track from Tellison’s current album, The Wages Of Fear. Stephen Davidson and co make an interesting lyrical connection between the pain of toothache and the pain of heartache. Is this phantom pain that necessitates a visit to the rather attractive dentist? Yet she doesn’t seem to be interested: “Cause my teeth are breaking, but my heart is aching for you.”

The attraction is clearly strong, as we learn from a couplet that is so bad it becomes funny: “My dentist’s a girl from France, I fancy off her pants.” Right.

Musically this is an understated song, the backing from the guitar and drums no more than gentle backing for the vocals. There’s even a xylophone in there too. But there is something compelling in the sincerity of the delivery that adds meaning to what is an amusing little song.