Hi Pal,
Welcome to another Review Newsletter where I share my general thoughts and analysis of selected albums and EPs. But first a little housekeeping…
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Tekoa is what happens when three artists of relatively diverse musical backgrounds find a way to create something that is a summation of their best individual parts. Nathan Staggers, Rory McKenna and Sam Adebajo (known as Watobi) released a cornucopia of delectable melodies that I will attempt to dissect called Hymns + Disparity.
The EP kicks off with “Altar” which opens with a trumpet lick followed quickly by string undertones. Throughout the song, the guitars, strings and trumpets create exciting patterns of play that gives this song a folky soul vibe. With an amazing gospel-tinged outro that builds into a satisfying climax, it’s an opener that registers in the memory.
‘To Be Known’ begins as an acoustic song with simple guitar strums and accompanying strings. It slowly evolves into a soulful gospel tune as warm pianos and accompanying choral harmonies enhance the entire experience. Lyrically, I am in love with the closing bridge of this song as they sing, “Let there be a sound, let there be a song, an eruption of praise from every heart, come fill this house, let it spill out, and cover the Earth…”
‘None Like You’ follows as a short interlude as Tekoa reminds us of the uniqueness and singularity of God in the universe.
On ‘Yahweh Elyon’, the group is at the height of their powers. It’s a beautiful chamber-folk tune with infectious trumpets and resonant harmonies.
The closer, ‘Rapids’ was a wonderful surprise with interesting twists and turns. When it comes down to it, this is a song of two halves. The first part goes heavy on the R&B with synth undertones and a slight jazzy twinge. The second part, preceded by a trumpet interlude and background vocals, starts slow and turns into a driving alternative rock outro capped off by a warm piano ballad.
It’s quite easy for me to fall in love with a project like Tekoa because I am attracted to bands/artists that are able to blur the lines between genres. Nonetheless, I do not want it to seem like I am giving them an easy pass simply because of my bias.
Clearly, a lot of work went into this EP and although it is relatively short, this band was able to clearly define who they are and what they represent both sonically and lyrically. That is not an easy feat to pull off.
Hymns + Disparity is a strong contender for my EP of the year and it deserves to be heard by lovers of great music.
Tags: Folk, Gospel, Jazz
That’s it for today.
Until next time.
Keep listening!
RATING: 4.5/5
What’s your favourite song on the EP? What releases would you like to read reviews for next? Let me know in the comments.