Brooklyn, USA-based art punk band Tea Eater first came to my attention in July this year thanks to their high energy track and video Double. The track opens their debut album, a short and sweet collection of eleven tracks. It’s called Obsession.
By Graeme Smith
Obsession is a project born from the anxiety of coronavirus lockdown and the joy of our collective release from captivity. Fronted by Gustaf and Sharkmuffin’s Tarra Thiessen, the project has been developing over the past few years, culminating in this collection of punchy punk.
The aforementioned Double opens things up with its combination of heavy chords and girl band harmonies. It really is a class track, instantly captivating and beautifully compact. Title track Obsession follows with a groove that borders on hip hop. Jangly guitar joins in, creating a hypnotic loop before Tarra’s expressive vocals float in delivering bright and uplifting lyrics. It’s an early highlight.
Fuck the DMV is a quick-fire punk vignette. Jack Nicholson is inspired by a rewatch of the film As Good As It Gets and comes complete with rousing drums and soaring, surf rock sentiments. Has Been draws from Tarra’s experience of the Brooklyn music scene and is a dark and grungy highlight.
The Taste sits at the heart of the album providing a simmering and singalong moment. Pickup Truck plods along with hints of blues rock before Respect the Wheel ups the tempo with some noisy, fuzzy punk. File Not Found is chilled and catchy. Saint Sardine is fiery and rumbling before Cosmic Coconut closes the album with a swaggering, timeless finisher with psychedelic overtones. It’s a final highlight.
Starting this Friday, Tea Eater comes to the UK. They’ll be playing in Coventry on the 27th, London on the 28th and Exeter on the 30th. For those in Yorkshire, you can catch them playing at the Polar Bear Music Club in Hull on 31 October.
Obsession was produced and mixed by Drew Vandenburg. It was recorded at Chase Park Transduction Studios in Athens, Georgia, and features Vram Kherlopian on bass and Alex Tuisku on drums. The vocal production is by Vanessa Silberman at A Diamond Heart Production. You can give the album a listen below.