In the alternative music scene, it’s been a good decade for Britain. While the Island nation holds claim to some of the pioneers of the genre – The Smiths, The Cure, and Joy Division, to name a few – the British alternative scene has petered out in the past few decades, at least in this country, in favor of home-grown acts. However, recently, there’s been a bit of a “British renaissance” in the genre. English Teacher, with its freshman release, is now at the forefront of that movement.
English Teacher’s “This Could Be Texas” is, in essence, a harbinger of what the future of alternative music will sound like. The album is unique, possessing a sound that really stands out from anything the genre has produced before. Sonically, their music exists as a mix between two other standout British acts. Lead singer Lily Fontaine’s vocals are reminiscent of another recent British breakout band, Wet Leg, while the instrumentalism of the band is at times reminiscent of the dramatic, distorted sound of Wolf Alice. What results is a sound that can be purely pinpointed on English Teacher, something no other group can imitate.
As for individual tracks, this album has several high points. The first single, “The World’s Biggest Paving Slab,” could be the most fun song to get released in a long time. The bouncing bass line gives the track some R&B style grooviness during the verses, while the chorus hits like a train with powerfully delivered, reverbed vocals from Fontaine over a background of eerily distorted guitars. With this track, English Teacher really sells how out there they are, boldly going where no other band will go and succeeding gracefully.
My favorite track off the album is Nearly Daffodils, a track the band calls “a full song.” It contains an infectious, upbeat, lead guitar line that carries throughout its entirety, providing a joyous backing to Fontaine’s lyrics. With the way the lyrics are structured, the band again chooses novelty over tradition, having Fontaine speak the lyrics over the guitar line during the verses, slam poetry style, and, in the chorus, having three loops of Fontaine’s singing playing intermittently – a spoken, almost shouted refrain of the title – with a long pause in between, where the two other loops – one of Fontaine singing backing vocals, and another spoken line played at a lower volume are inserted. All of this leads up to an outro, that, quoting the song, “tears like a freight train through a christening,” ending the song in a perfectly timed tour de force.
Other tracks I found exceptional were the opener, “Albatross,” the title track, the closer, “Albert Road,” and “I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying,” a deep cut from the album that, despite containing perhaps five lines, at most (each repeated several times), manages to be highly entertaining due to a fast-paced beat, well-timed musical effects, and a fuzzy, distorted chorus that breaks up the monotony of the verses. This all builds to another strong, emotional finish that leaves you with adrenaline pumping.
The album does have its flaws, however. While, as a whole, I do enjoy Fontaine’s approach to song writing, it can be hard to “get” at times. “Mastermind Specialism” falls victim to this, and, at points in the song, it becomes hard to tell if the band is writing lyrics or listing several British-sounding nouns. “Not Everyone Gets To Go To Space” is more excruciating, as the metaphor behind the song feels very forced. Plus, it’s a slow-paced, toned-down ballad, a type of song the band struggles to execute at times. “The Best Tears of Your Life,” one of the singles off the album, is bland, forgettable, and, at points, annoying.
Still, this is a phenomenal debut album for a young group that shows a lot of promise. English Teacher may very well be dominating the alternative genre in 10 years. Their sound is fresh, their approach to song writing is unique, and they’ve managed to win over a lot of fans. I highly recommend this album. It’s fun, silly at times, and, best of all, it doesn’t sound like anything I’ve ever heard before, in a good way.
Overall Score: 86/100
