On their debut album, Transitional Forms, Sharptooth reminds us of the power music wields and why more artists should use their platform to influence meaningful change.
2020 is giving everyone a lesson in privilege that we won’t soon forget. The vast majority of people now understand the plight of others in a way that is undeniable. Anyone still refusing to acknowledge the discrepancies and advantages that exist due to class, age, disability, race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and religion are merely choosing to ignore facts. That lack of acceptance is poisoning our culture and throttling the progress of society. It’s a plague that, like our current pandemic, needs to be stamped out of existence before we can move forward as a species. Empathy and understanding are essential for systemic change, but far too many continue to reveal their positions of privilege by remaining silent. In the words of Sharptooth, wielding such power must be nice.
On Transitional Forms, Sharptooth thrusts a dagger straight into the heart of hate and ignorance with thought-provoking lyricism and chaotic instrumentation. Their sound is propulsive, both musically and lyrically. It’s like a freight train that is racing at such highs speeds that the cars begin to come off the tracks ever-so-slightly. One is always wondering whether the band will maintain the momentum or aggression of what’s transpiring, but disaster is narrowly averted at the last possible second.
But there are a lot of bands that people describe as being loud and fast. Sharptooth sets themselves apart by turning the tables on their scene, and in doing so, modern alternative music as a whole. The album opener, “Say Nothing (In The Absence Of Content),” pokes fun at the empty mosh calls prevalent in hardcore music while also commenting on how certain artists get away with writing music for the sake of making noise. That isn’t a criticism of those artists as much as it of the scene itself. Groups with people of color or women (or both) are expected to use their platform in a more meaningful way, but others are not. Sharptooth says that they could write the songs everyone else performs, but they wouldn’t get the same praise. Society expects them to do more, say more, and to stand for something. Other groups should be held to those same standards, which is accurate, and the band isn’t afraid to say that out loud.
Transitional Forms is about more than music scenes and whatever stupid rules people try to enforce within it. Much like Sharptooth’s catalog, the album takes aim at numerous political and societal issues. It touches on economic strife, sexual assault, vulnerability, and how far too many people never practice what they preach. It captures the struggle and anger experienced by oppressed people from different walks of life and lays bare the fact that things must change. It’s a call to action as much as it is a razor-sharp criticism of those who continue to walk through life, turning a blind eye to the realities of existence. The group’s travels over the last decade have shown them that most people want things to change, but few are willing to get off their ass and do the work necessary. Sharptooth is already doing their part, so why can’t you?
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