DM Stith - Sawtooth

Sometimes a title just happens, and there’s no use explaining it. Bands who come up with a name on the spot and spend their career justifying its existence will curse their luck, but it’s easier to go with instinct when applying names to songs. For DM Stith, ‘Sawtooth’ lives up to its name in every form. It sounds exactly like a razor-sharped beast, capable of piercing through dull drudgery without a moment’s hesitation.

After stints in Sufjan Stevens’ live band, Stith’s own material finds him tackling nagging thoughts, doubts and ‘what if?’s. ‘Sawtooth’ doesn’t stumble under the weight of curiosity, though. Everything is here for a purpose, spiralling synth patterns and jagged bass notes sharing the same space. It has such a momentum behind it, you could imagine the Brooklyn musician making this song in one stumbling haze, penning the title on a whim.