B-Side Guys

Childhood heroes crumble under adult scrutiny when Zach Ellis examines Titanic’s romantic lead through lockdown paranoia and mezcal clarity. Dead Tooth’s “Jack Dawson” transforms James Cameron’s freewheeling wanderer into potential serial monogamist on the run, questioning whether romantic mythology shaped poor life decisions or simply provided convenient justification for them. Ellis’s pandemic-induced character assassination feels both deeply personal and universally relatable.

The song’s post-punk framework serves this psychological excavation perfectly. Andrew Bailey’s guitar work—drawing from his DIIV experience while channeling darker impulses—creates atmospheric tension that matches Ellis’s vocal paranoia. When near-atonal hooks escape from taut vocal cords, they mirror the disorientation of realizing your formative influences might have been fundamentally flawed. The menacing feedback and blistering saxophone create perfect backdrop for this kind of adult disillusionment.

Ellis’s approach to lyricism demonstrates sophisticated understanding of how rhyming patterns can build momentum rather than simply complete thoughts. His words link together to create rolling rhythm that mirrors obsessive thinking—the kind of circular analysis that emerges during extended isolation. The energy builds through linguistic connections rather than traditional verse-chorus dynamics, making the song feel like overheard internal monologue rather than performed confession.

The band’s “rodeo-core” designation makes increasing sense within this context. There’s something distinctly American about using blockbuster cinema to examine personal mythology, treating Hollywood romance as seriously as historical text. Ellis’s questions about dropping out of community college to bum around Europe reveal how pop culture provides both inspiration and excuse for life-altering decisions.

Dead Tooth’s upcoming self-titled debut promises to explore similar territory—global and personal crises colliding like icebergs into ship hulls. “Jack Dawson” succeeds as preview because it demonstrates their ability to find genuine emotional weight in seemingly absurd premises. Sometimes the most honest way to examine your mistakes is through someone else’s fictional choices.