Written by Fense
I can wholeheartedly understand the meaning behind Oak City opener “Coffee Is A Cruel Mistressâ€. Like cigarettes, one can easily become a coffee addict. Unlike cigarettes, I’m hooked on coffee. My other addictions (you could call them shortcomings, but I don’t) include obsessive compulsive alphabetization, abundant record purchasing, and food.
Contrary to what you might believe, Oak City by Teith is not a new release. It is a re-release of Teith’s 2006 original, which at the time was a limited, local run in the Chicago area. Thankfully, Thirty Ghosts taking it national.
Here are some facts about Teith: (i) Teith is experimental, though not nearly as loud and wild-eyed as HEALTH and not as orchestrated as Ghost, (ii) Teith is instrumental; this is not surprising as Teith features a member of Pelican, but Teith is not as metal as Pelican.
Well, instrumental may not be the correct term, as there’s some sort of fucked-with spoken word on “Thankx But Im Not The Cannible†[sic], but it’s not apparent whether or not a member of Teith spoke the words or if they’re sampled. “Writing With Bloody Mary†and “Breathe Baby Breatheâ€, while not as prominent as the opener, are both heavily experimental. The former is more cohesive, while the latter is a hazy, static filled dream.
Oak City flows flawlessly from beginning to end—well, as flawless as an experimental album can be—and through all the twists and awkward fills, Teith are able to create and maintain a consistently mind-numbing experience. Like cigarettes and coffee and Bloody Marys, Oak City is a drug. And I’m hooked.
Teith: Writing With Bloody Mary [mp3]
[audio:1020_teith_-_writing_with_bloody_mary.mp3|titles=Writing With Bloody Mary|artists=Teith]
Thirty Ghosts Records [CDEP, 2008]
1. Coffee Is A Cruel Mistress
2. Writing With Bloody Mary
3. Thanks But Im Not The Cannible
4. Breathe Baby Breathe
This Ep is amazing! Can’t wait for the next release by Teith!