There are two artists from Columbus, one who goes by the name Happy Tooth, and another who goes by the name of Dug. Sometimes they release solo music, but other times they work together. When they perform together as a full band with backing musicians, they go by the name of Happy Tooth & Dug. When they are just working as a duo, and perhaps an outside producer, they go by the name of Dug & Happy Tooth. This is the current configuration they are in as they release their album, The Signal Glittering Inside the Storm.

After releasing their 2016 EP, If You Can Hear This, they were approached by a producer from Madison by the name of Evaridae. While the three never met in real life, they felt a connection, and after working off and on over the years, they finally have a full-length album together. If you’re familiar with Dug & Happy Tooth, you might be just a little surprised at how dark and introspective this album is. Not that they haven’t gotten personal in their music before, but that is to say that there’s usually more “fun” songs on their albums, however you want to interpret that. On The Signal Glittering Inside the Storm, there are still moments where their sense of humor comes through, but it’s more often than not presented in a way that they are laughing to keep from crying. The best example comes on “Sound Guy,” a song dedicated to pushing through and giving your best when playing to an empty room while on the road. The song has a good energy to it and a fun hook, but it also deals with some very real struggles that independent artists face as they try to build (or even just maintain) an audience. The production of Evaridae leans a bit in the emo/indie rock direction, which means that we are getting a lot of minor key songs built around live guitar and drums. This certainly helps build the mood around which Dug & Happy Tooth are getting into lyrically. Over the course of the album, they are not only dealing with the very real struggles of being an independent artist in 2020, but also dealing with the death of a close friend, and the very real emotional and mental health issues that a lot of us face. The good news here is that while yes, this a darker and more serious album than this duo has made in the past, it’s still a really well made album with thoughtful lyricism. It’s dealing with a darkness, but it’s not necessarily dwelling in it. It’s a cathartic listen, because these artists are making this music so that they can make it to the other side.

The Signal Glittering Inside the Storm is not the Dug & Happy Tooth album that you’ll want to throw on at a party, but it is an emotional and personal album you can put on your headphones and get into some shit with. Sometimes that’s just what you need, and the Columbus duo are there for you in 2020.