One to watch: Sink Ya Teeth

The Norwich duo’s take on punk-funk is as infectious as it is emotionally engaging

If the return of LCD Soundsystem gave you punk-funk nostalgia, you need to hear Norwich duo Sink Ya Teeth. Maria Uzor and Gemma Cullingford’s eponymous debut, recorded in their living rooms, filters the spiky pulse of Delta 5, Bush Tetras and ESG through the stark energy of early house. The pair are old hands on the Norwich scene – Cullingford formerly played bass in cult art rockers KaitO (whose vocalist Nik Colk went on to form Factory Floor), and Sink Ya Teeth evolved after she joined Uzor’s gothic-bluesy project Girl in a Thunderbolt. Their experience shows in the richness of the album: from the Moroder-esque arpeggiated synths of Glass to the slinky mood of Petrol Blue, infectious grooves abound. The record is largely, Uzor told Loud and Quiet, about “exploring the fragility that you experience as a human being”, from Friends’s tense evocation of social awkwardness to If You See Me’s opening confession, over itchy bass, “I feel a little depressed/A little melancholy at best.” The effect is cathartic, and you can catch some of it at a handful of live dates around the country, including support slots to original post-punkers A Certain Ratio. Be ready to dance without dignity: as Cullingford sagely asked M Magazine: “Who doesn’t love to play air drums when a bongo or a cowbell comes in?”

Sink Ya Teeth’s self-titled debut is out this week on Hey Buffalo

Watch the video for If You See Me.

Contributor

Emily Mackay

The GuardianTramp

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