Teen Daze - Themes for New Earth

Teen Daze
Themes for a New Earth
2017
Spotify

Companion albums or B-Sides can sometimes provide some really great stuff, but often they are relegated to the throwaway section. This new record a collection of recordings from Teen Daze's album from earlier this year Themes for a Dying Earth doesn't particularly drive the narrative forward but serves to show just how great Teen Daze's ambient stuff can be. There are no lyrics on this one leaving you alone to drift. It is almost like the ocean on the albums cover, never the same but somewhat predictable leaving you to wander in your own head for awhile. This record feels far more natural, which is saying a hell of a lot, really digging into how to capture nature through electronic sounds. Songs like "An Alpine Forest" feel like they are constantly reaching for a precipice but really without any desire to get there. If you've read my writing at all I am usually more into concise direct songs that hit their marks, but the experience of going on this journey with Teen Daze is simply mesmerizing. Just in case you thought things were getting a little too ambient and a little to high minded He slips in the track "Wandering Through Kunsthal" which has this amazingly funky guitar line backed by shimmering drum machines. There is also this constant gentle drum beat on the track which just sucks everything right to the ground perfect for a nice side to side sway.

The trip doesn't last all that long, just over a half an hour, and then suddenly it's gone. It's a weird feeling because you don't find yourself really wanting to go back to these tracks save for "Wandering Through Kunsthal" because you feel like you've gotten what you need. It's a real fleeting experience almost like an amazing mushroom trip that you'll always remember even if the details are a little foggy around the edges. It so complex but present in such a simple way, you really can feel nature seeping through. As with the natural world you can look at the complexities and dive deep, or you can just take in the broader picture. It seems like Teen Daze has his finer on the pulse of something really special and his ability to move from project to project is really quite incredible. If you loved Themes for a Dying Earth than Themes for a New Earth is just another step in the journey.

8.0 out of 10