Rock, alternative, rap, alternative metal, post hardcore, however you describe Papa Roach, it’s probably right. Crooked Teeth features a wider variety of genres, while not straying too far from rap or rock.
The start of “Break The Fall” is a slow, easy start to the record, opening with violin, until a heavier beat and rapping starts. The chorus sounds like a typical rock chorus, nothing overly special. “Crooked Teeth,” although I’m not a fan of its start, and “My Medication” are two of the best bangers on the record, guaranteed to have anyone head banging by the end of it. The next two tracks, “Born for Greatness” and “American Dreams,” are a bit of a bore, definitely skippable tracks, especially following “Crooked Teeth” and “My Medication.” I’m honestly kind of disappointed in “Sunrise Trailer Park.” I feel the song has a lot more potential than what was actually executed for the final song. I found the guitar work and beat on the boring side, when they could be used to amplify the song and Machine Gun Kelly’s feature. The closing track, “None Of The Above” ends the album with a punch, but the duality of the either very quiet, more relaxed intervals between choruses I don’t feel work as well as they could. Papa Roach tries to combine a bit too much of everything in Crooked Teeth, leaving the whole album feeling more like a menagerie of music, rather than a fluid album. They’re able to tackle their rock elements and rap elements well, but just not together.
Overall: Several great songs, plus a couple not-so-great songs, plus a couple mediocre songs results in a take-it-or-leave-it record. Some of the choruses can definitely make it worth a listen, but I’d stick to the first third of the album.
7/10
Review by Shane Haley
Crown Times Music 