The Sandwitches 'Our Toast' Pays Homage To Enigmatic Charm

Keeping in line with what Ty Segall Band’s Emily Rose describes as a “band straight out of a David Lynch film”, The Sandwitches return with a new record, following on from their 2011 ‘Mrs. Jones’ Cookies’. ‘Our Toast’, released 8 June via Empty Cellar Records, does not lack the strange charm that the San Francisco trio’s sound has come to be recognized for.

"Sunny Side", in the context of the rest of the album, seems out of place, but the eerily jolly nature of the tinkling piano and purposefully unconvincing tone of the lyrics ‘sunny side’ work well. "Play It Again Dick" takes a turn into darker Americana territory with noticeable sad pop vibes. "Sleeping Practice" carries this through, but not before opening abruptly with a return of the disconcerting piano of "Sunny Side".

The Sandwitches slow the pace down once more with "Dear Prudence". Coming in at over 8 minutes, there’s a hazy dream-like quality to it, as Roxanne Young on drums steadies the pace slowly along. "Miggy" comes as a soulful track midway through the album. It encapsulates the sometimes idiosyncratic, yet always delightful, harmonies that The Sandwitches achieve so well. "Island Jam" demonstrates this further, though the ambient jazzy ending really makes it.

"Personal Hell" lifts the album up. There’s a hellish quality to it; it is feisty and strange, mysterious and upbeat. The introduction to "Wickerman Mambo" is wonderful in itself, and it continues to be incredibly fun throughout. It’s as if "Personal Hell" purges the album of the sad-pop sounds of the earlier tracks to make way for such energy in "Wickerman Mambo".

The album closes with "Nothing But Love", which is reminiscent of the opening track, on a much more downbeat scale. It has an ethereal quality to it, and ends the album on a sweet note.

‘Out Toast’ is a diverse album. It does not stick to any particular sound, yet the charm of The Sandwitches remains consistent throughout. It seems, at first, to be a bit misfit, but this what makes ‘Our Toast’ a wonderful album.

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Words by Ellie Brown

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