I Have a Sweet Tooth and It’s for Mom Jeans.
By Julia Norkus
The newest Mom Jeans. album Sweet Tooth was released on Feb. 25, 2022, and indie rock fans can officially scream in relief.
Mom Jeans., made up of Eric Butler (he/him), Austin Carango (he/him), Bart Thompson (he/him), and Sam Kless (he/him), formed at UC Berkeley in 2014. Their first album, Best Buds (2016), put them on the indie rock map with their poetic lyrics combined with singing that is reminiscent of screaming in your car with the radio.
Sweet Tooth shows major growth for the band from Best Buds. The group’s first album isn’t as mature, with songs like “Death Cup,” “*Sob Quietly*,” and “Scott Pilgrim vs. My GPA,” which all focus on heartbreak and depression. There’s strong emphasis on being alone with no fond memories of love, and the chord progressions and bass lines help to convey the sadness of each song a little more deeply.Sweet Tooth is brighter than Best Buds, sounding the way cloud watching on a warm spring day feels like. This album revolves around being dumb in love with feelings of nostalgia over romantic memories of the past.
The album starts off with “Something Sweet,” about craving attention from the person you care about more than anything. The song uses colorful symbolism, with candy and cavities representing love and being willing to go with the flow, no matter what happens, to make the relationship work.
“Hippo In The Water” is a high energy tune about the same themes of loving someone regardless of what might come of it, in the most Mom Jeans. way possible: it’s ridiculous. The line “Nobody wants to end up lonely/Everybody wants to fall in love/Even when you think you don’t need me/I think it might be kinda fun” begs the subject to fall in love. Coming off of previous albums revolving around heartbreak, it’s almost as if they’re trying to convince this person that they’re ready for love and over all the heartbreak, even if they still are writing songs about it. This might even be seen as a form of manipulation. In fact, a lot of love songs could be seen that way—the singer is almost always trying to coerce a subject into falling in love with them by showering them with compliments, and the Mom Jeans. take on this type of love song is both satirical and charming.
One of the final songs on the album, “Tie Dye Acid Trip,” is a summary of post-breakup thoughts. Specifically, the line “I’m not quite as happy as I seem/I still see your face in all my dreams” spoke to the idea of internalizing our pain for the sake of those around us. The song is blunt, acknowledging that healing is difficult when everyone around you ignores it. “Tie Dye Acid Trip” acknowledges a side of healing that isn’t often exposed, and the vulnerability of this track adds to the growth Mom Jeans. has seen throughout the years.
Overall, the album is a gorgeous take on the highs and lows of love, with a fresh new twist on the original Mom Jeans. sound. Since Best Buds, Mom Jeans. continues to mature as a group, bringing with them the new experiences that influence their work.