Teen Daze - A Silent Planet EP Review

As if the name of the artist didn't give it away already, teen daze is the chillwave/ lo fi/ dreampop workings of Jamison, an American student who, during his studies, discovered the C.S Lewis novel 'Out of the Silent Planet'. It had such an effect on him that he decided to express his feelings for it through music, enter his debut E.P, A Silent Planet.

Opening track 'Surface' lures you into Teen Dazes dreamy world with synth pads screeching effortlessly into a detuned mess before the gentle drums and hazy vocals kick in. It is immediately clear that the lo fi production will compliment the tracks perfectly, making for an intensely chilled listen. 'It Calls Me Under' takes up a slightly different tone, instead of being baked in the relentless sunshine of 'Surface' you are now smoothly falling through an endless cloud filled sky, as washy arpeggiated synths are accompanied by the comforting thumping of a bass drum.

Soft strings provide a smooth introduction to 'I Fell Into The Light' before echoing lyrics of 'no sunshine' provide the next pleasantry to meet your ears, recalling certain aspects from the likes of Boards Of Canada. 'Harvest' and 'Watch Over Me' are tracks which have more of an emphasis on the lyrical side of them, for Teen Dazes standards anyway, with a clear riff which provides a sturdy backbone to the track, giving it an improved structure, which is often lacking, with hazy chords, unclear vocals and effects flying in and out of the song.

Final track Malacandra offers much more of the same vibe, a youthful electronic jangling lies delicately on top of more unclear vocals and subtle synth pads. Although Teen Daze may have worked the lo fi/ dreampop genre a bit too much, there is no denying that the heavily sample based 'A Silent Planet' offers an escape from any situation, whatever the place, whatever the time.

James Hopkin