‘Frequency’, from Liverpool’s The Tea Street Band, is a retro flavoured album which first brings to mind of the likes of Peppermint Heaven, crossed with Pet Shop Boys, and some industrial electronica for good measure.
Eleven tracks long, it’s gritty and savage, with a really strong throwback feel that we like a lot. Track three ‘Only Love’ is an early favourite, with stabbing synths interwoven with rich almost disco vocals giving an instant dance anthem feel to the track. Other highlights include ‘Marseille Blues’, which has a very attractively high-toned stabby synth sound, that sits nicely on the ears.
Track 8, ‘Hearts Collide’, is perhaps the most different song on the album. While still maintaining the retro feel, it’s more like New Order or The Smiths than anything else.
Title track ‘Frequency’ starts off all scratches and white noise then quickly becomes an old skool rave track. It never fully allows itself to become a dance tune, and you get the same feeling as if you’re hearing a distant dance party; you catch particles of the track but aren’t able to grab hold of it completely.
Final track, ‘Taken It All’ is anthemic both sonically and lyrically, and swoops and soars around in an aural feast of multi-layered vocals and instrumentals. It’s a fitting close to the album, and leaves the listener wanting more.
‘Frequency’, by The Tea Street Band, is out now through Modern Sky. Find out more about the band and their music on their Facebook page.
