Ah yes, it’s been a long wait for anything new from Trondheim, Norway’s MANES.  As a nice stop gap measure before they release their upcoming work, Be All End All, the band have released a compilation entitled Teeth, Toes, and Other Trinkets.  The comp is a mixed of alternative versions, unreleased, studio recordings, live recordings, and other nuggets in the MANES collection.  You’ll get a unique and wide spectrum of sounds within and overlapping rock, electronica, and metal.

So does it stand on its own as a worthy release?  Absolutely.  Teeth, Toes, and Other Trinkets is wonderfully morose and soulful in that way.  It starts more uptempo but eventually falls deeper into despair towards the conclusion.

Most tracks have vocals with a few scattered instrumental ones.  The biggest standout is the live version of “Ende” which is just so passionate.  “One More Room” and “Nobody Wants the Truth” are the kinds of great songs that prime RADIOHEAD used to dish out.  The way second to last track, “Diving With Your Hands Bound [Nearly Flying],” pulls the listener down into the depths is profound to say the least.  Final track, “Deeprooted [8-bit],” is given the classic video game-style treatment and more or less diffuses the atmosphere that the previous songs created.

To say that Teeth, Toes, and Other Trinkets is “mood music” is an understatement.  If you’re not in the mood for this, then it’s best to save it when the mood strikes you.  The best aspect is the fact that the material here is good enough for you to be chomping at the bit for their forthcoming record. (Debemur Morti Productions)