Téga - REDEYE! EP
Téga - REDEYE! EP
Words: David Carr
Raised in Drogheda, here Téga delivers a truly genre-spanning debut EP that brings primary elements of hip-hop, jazz, and soul. The glitchy opening of ‘snakes and ladders’ gives way to some heavy beats and a deep groove. A track about corporate disdain and the effect on the worth of the individual is revealed by dehumanising lyrics such as “Are we a pawn to power, the euro’s slave?”. ’drop that!’ brings some funk and drives up feelings of intemperance “truly an active way of enacting change comes after an act of crime” and responsibility “I’ll lead the riot if I have to lad” also shining a light on the hampered process of self-actualisation with “You know that daoine gorm has to bellow a note to be heard”.
Previous single ‘roulette’ is a dollop of liquid soul, the additional vocals by Anike Akano give it a lazy day of summer vibe. The risk in love is considered “Can I be a part of all the stories made, what’s the chance?” The downside of this risk is examined in ‘xhausted’ with the wry line “Tell me if you want me or not, I got it wrong got it right, loving you is like a mosh pit”. The closing track ‘REDEYE!’ revisits themes of the opener, being overworked and underpaid. Here the melting pot of a hip-hop/jazz hybrid gains a punk edge with its garage drums and guitar. The whole EP feels vibrant and present, imbued with creativity and risk.