SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: TEEN DAZE – THEMES FOR DYING EARTH

Teen Daze
Themes For Dying Earth
Flora

Jamison Isaak, better known as electronic indie-pop artist Teen Daze, is back with a new album, Themes For Dying Earth. It is a highly collaborative record, featuring artists like Jon Anderson, Dustin Wong, Sean Carey, Nadia Hulett, and Sound Of Ceres. Clocking in at the 42-minute mark, the album is a dreamy, ambient sonic journey from start to finish.

From the first notes of the opening song, this album is like looking through a still pool of water disturbed by gentle raindrops; clarity and haze fighting one another for dominance. A multitude of timbres and textures take the listener on a journey to space and back, weaving among tree branches, clouds, and pools.

Instrumental tracks are featured prominently on this album, like the sonically dense “Cherry Blossoms”, and the subtly cyclical “Dream City”. They serve as ambient interludes among the vocal tracks.  On the wistful “Lost”, Isaak’s dreamy vocals drift in and out of focus, mingling and dancing with Nadia Hulett’s equally blissed out crooning.

“Cycle” is a definite highlight, with soaring harmonies and a shimmering, skittering electronic soundscape – not to mention the fact that it’s damn catchy. The song touches on Isaak’s own experiences with depression and anxiety, as well as the stresses of touring, making for a highly personal yet simultaneously relatable record. The album definitely feels like a progression from 2015’s Morning World, yet it also touches upon elements of Isaak’s earlier work. Themes For Dying Earth is a soothing, enjoyable effort, and is worth the listen.

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