On Oct. 15, Brooklyn band Teen made their Mile-High debut as the opening act for Norwegian singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche at the Bluebird Theatre. This all-female alternative rock band lit up the stage with their thunderous yet willowy tracks. Featuring haunting vocals matched with an equally enchanting musicality, Teen offers something new and necessary to the alternative rock scene.
The band began back in 2010 in Brooklyn, New York, when Kristina “Teeny” Lieberson teamed up with her sisters Katherine and Lizzie and friend Jane Herships. Teeny had just left her previous band Here We Go Magic due to creative differences. Looking for new band mates, she knew her sisters would be the perfect fit.
In an interview with The Line of Best Fit in 2012, Teeny describes working with her sisters: “Because we’re sisters and we’re so close, there’s so much trust which is the best space to create in. No one is trying to one up each other. We can really explore because we feel comfortable.”
“In Limbo,” their first album, debuted in 2012. The group found their unique sound—a blend of psychedelic electronica and silky harmonies—with the help of producer Sonic Boom (previously from the band Spacemen 3).
The album received mixed reviews, with UK magazine the Guardian calling it “freak-out music meets folk, without being freak-folk.”
“Better,” the album’s first track, served as an anthem for Teen’s debut. “I’ll do it better/I’ll do it better/than anybody else,” croons Teeny, and what follows is an album teeming in experimentation, new sounds and rich beats. In waves of the psychedelic, percussion and meandering melodies, “In Limbo” served as the perfect introduction to the eccentric and complex Teen.
Over the next couple of years, the band honed their sound. Original band member Herships left, and bassist Boshra AlSaadi joined the group.
Released earlier this year, their sophomore effort, “The Way and Color,” exemplified the group’s growth into a more mature, lush sound. Beginning with the sumptuously hypnotic “Rose 4 U,” the album is staked in confidence. Each song is a masterful construction—twisting, turning, folding, unfolding. The album pulsates; it gives and it takes.
Another highlight on “The Way and Color” is “Tied Up Tied Down,” a gorgeous concoction of harmony and electronic rhythm. It’s the perfect example of the oscillating melodies Teen favor so frequently. In contrast, “More Than I Ask For” is almost an R&B throwback, with vocals so smooth it could lull a tiger, a python and a bear into dreamless sleeps.
Other songs show the band’s knack for daring, entrancing musical interludes. “Breath Low & Deep” features a brilliant brass solo amidst an ethereal musical cacophony. Similarly, “Toi Toi Toi” has a synth-fused coda that carries the tune to a magical finish.
Teen possesses the rare gift of creating a sound totally their own—and the way they do it such ease, such grace, their genius goes unrecognized. A band made up of all women is usually considered a novelty, or, at worst, a sexual accessory to a superstar. Teen has the talent to go beyond the novelty, and they’ve proved they are a musical act worth investing in.
Their music is available on iTunes and Amazon. For more music recommendations, check out the Clarion’s Tasty Jams blog.
