ALBUM REVIEW: “Tracer” by Teengirl Fantasy

Teengirl Fantasy
Tracer
[True Panther Sounds/R&S Records]

Teengirl Fantasy have come a long way from their dorm room experimenting in Oberlin College. While causing a major stir in 2010 with their debut album 7AM they quickly garnered attention for their dream state electro and out of the box approach. On their new full length album Tracer, Nick Weiss and Logan Takash explore their craftiness with sound and space on a whole new level.

Tracer sees the duo moving away from purely instrumental tracks, trusting their songs with a noteworthy lineup of vocalists. On “EFX” Kelela’s soulful vocals are surprisingly comfortable with what now has become the trademark pulsating sound of Teengirl Fantasy. Panda Bear appears on “Pyjama” as a ray of light in an otherwise slithering, minimalistic soundscape. “Mist of Time” on the other hand, is built up with beams of sounds and deep, evasive beats while Laurel Halo’s piercing vocals echo in the halls.

Teengirl Fantasy fuses their transcendental electro with influences from club music, house, ambient, and R&B to create an album which at moments appear to be insomnia explained through sound. An album that is perhaps best understood through your unconscious mind, a day, a week, or a month after you’ve listened your way out of it.

Teengirl Fantasy Tour Dates:
08-10 San Francisco, CA – DNA Lounge *
08-11 Los Angeles, CA – Los Globos *
08-12 San Diego, CA – The Casbah *
08-17 Vancouver, BC – Waldorf Hotel *
08-18 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios *
* with Gatekeeper and Thunder Horse