Ever wonder what it must have been like to hear a little self-made record by a musical great? Like being one of those people who heard the Squires before Neil Young became Neil Young? Listening to First Tooth, it’s hard not to wonder if maybe some day the listener will say “I heard Faye Blais’ first record before she was famous.” Blais’ voice has a warble to it reminiscent of Joni Mitchell. Most songs are acoustic, guitar-driven and full of introspective, emotional lyrics. The melodies are often basic but catchy, and show a solid foundation. “To Night” is the stand-out song, and it wouldn’t seem out of place on an adult contemporary radio station. “Independent,” however, has a country feel that gives the album diversity and attitude. First Tooth’s biggest flaw is its mixing. On some tracks, vocals are forced to compete with instruments. This would be more understandable if Blais was fighting with an acoustic guitar. As well, the volume varies from song to song much more than it should. It’s sloppy, and this amateur feel distracts from the music — something that should especially be avoided on self-released records. Yet despite these technical flaws, First Tooth shows Faye Blais to be both a talented performer and songwriter. -- Chad Nevett, The Gazette (Canada) User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.