Thursday 21 February 2013

Téhessé - Toumrakata

EP review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


This is the first release by French group Téhessé and they know how to mix things up a bit. Even on the first song you travel through musical space and time, from an ace space-rock bassline at the beginning through some soulful vocals and light trip-hoppy sounds, then they bring in the guitars and we're into experimental indie territory for a few seconds before it goes a bit Pink Floyd and even soft-rock. Thanks to those vocals it never ploughs head-first into any of these genres though, preferring to keep us guessing. It's a cleverly thought out song, but this doesn't always equate to a decent track. On this occasion it just about does, although you wish they'd have been a little less slick with the muso, note perfect production.

It's something you get used to though, with a voice as pure as this the production has to match or it will sound out of place. So lo-fi fans might want to steer clear, but there's plenty here to appreciate. There's some nice variation thrown in too, like the spooky 'Outro' with its overlapping sections, and 'Quiet Guy' which moulds together 80s soul and it's modern alternative. The oddly titled 'Interlude' is nothing of the sort, being a reggae-infused number, and 'Riot Riot' again throws everything in and the results are not unlike Morcheeba. It's then left to the slow-burning and evocative 'Plump' to round up what is a pristine sounding EP that almost feels too measured to be a debut.



Téhessé's website

Stream or buy the EP





For more news, reviews and downloads follow The Sound Of Confusion on Facebook or Twitter

contact@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

No comments:

Post a Comment