Ahead of Regionals’ release of their sophomore EP, Teenage Séance, we have the pleasure of premiering the title track! We last heard from the Sydney band when we reviewed Sentimental Health back in late 2018. Ahead of the new release, they shared “Steady Hands” last month, and now EP-closer “Teenage Séance” is yours for the taking.
From the start, “Teenage Séance” beckons the listener inward with its ragged and searing noisy guitar intro. Paring back to a gentle beat with vocals as the focal point, regret and reassurance are shared with an earnest and clearly Australian voice. With greater strength as the song progresses, chaotic guitar rains down, seeming to match the internal noise that’s going on within the person in question.
With far more going on in “Teenage Séance” than expected, there’s a stand taken with the arrival of gang vocals at the midway point. Seeming to stomp and climb into another reality, there’s a refreshing shift that’s somehow floaty as well as strong. Frankly, it’s tough to put into words all that’s going on within these four minutes, but it feels great to be metaphorically swept away by waves of bass, dumped upon the shore by percussive forces, and then lifted toward a melodic sky. A defiant and direct finish feels like icing on the cake of “Teenage Séance”.
“I’m in a daze, it’s circular, it’s a maze“
Regionals themselves describe the track as being “quite sporadic” musically, and that vocalist Brett Islaub felt some anxiety about penning lyrics to suit. He shared “I believe at some point I asked the band if this should be an instrumental just because I had no idea what to do with it. They all stared at me with their usual “Just write the song, mate!” look.” No pressure or anything.
Islaub says that the song came together in the studio, that working with different pedals and melody/harmony lines created a sense of impact that felt right for closing the EP. He hints toward the future by sharing “It’s definitely one of the heaviest Regionals songs and probably a decent indicator of where the band is heading sonically.”
Let yourself sink into “Teenage Séance” for a moment, and stay tuned for when the Teenage Séance EP releases next Friday! Keep in touch with Regionals via Spotify and Facebook.
