TEEN
Carolina EP
Carpark Records
Street: 05.28
TEEN = Yo La Tengo + Feist
This five-song EP is just as impressive as TEEN’s sophomore full-length, In Limbo, from last year. The Brooklyn girls have strayed from their Shangri-Las-meets-psych vibe and have moved into a more diverse, rock-oriented direction. In the title track, TEEN comes across as a female Led Zeppelin from space, while the repetitive, electric drone of “Circus” sounds straight out of I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass. “Cannibal” and “Paradise” could’ve come from a completely different band—the bubbly guitar, slot-machine noises and Teeny Lieberson’s sunny vocals sound more modern and flexible than In Limbo. I like where TEEN are going—they sound more mature, unique and pleasantly all over the place. It seems like nobody in Salt Lake has heard of TEEN yet, so there’s still a chance to be the first of your friends to buy their record before they play Twilight or something. –Cody Kirkland