Beauty in Everyday Things
Teen Daze has released Themes for a New Earth, a gorgeous, contemplative counterpart to his previous release, Themes for Dying Earth. Teen Daze, A.K.A. Jamison Isaak, is prolific, releasing albums that are a beautiful blend of electronic and folk, shining with positivity. Isaak has battled with anxiety and depression, and instead of being consumed by it, he uses it as fuel to create his music. Having moved out to the country, Themes for a New Earth reflects the nature around him, with a deep sense of renewal embedded in every note.
The album is filled with looping melodies and synths that swell and release periodically, making the album feel almost like a lullaby. “On the Edge of a New Age” is dazzling, and the power of the song is in the details. Layers of sound encapsulate as shimmering melodies circle round and round.
“River Walk” opens with sleepy guitar notes, subtly incorporating dream-pop into the sound. It closes with a repeating click of a synthesizer that could only be compared to the sound of crickets chirping as the day comes to an end. “An Alpine Forest” is powerful, but forlorn, and is one of the only songs on the album with a melancholy tone. The album picks up with “Wandering Through Kunsthal,” with a simple drum loop and wandering guitar melody that grows more and more pronounced, as synths drop in and trickle like droplets of water. Ending with the ambient track, “Prophets,” there is a sad, fading tone that closes the album. It rounds out New Earth nicely.
The album seems to lack contrast from the previous release, Dying Earth, but instead feels like a continuation of the album, they blend together impressively. Unlike Dying Earth, this album is exclusively instrumental and doesn’t feature any supporting artists, giving Isaak room to breathe. It appears he was able to explore new concepts in this album and fully flesh them out. Running at 36 minutes, Themes for a New Earth is concise, ending just before you want it to.
Isaak presents each song carefully, forcing the listener to take their time with the album. As if taking a nature walk, Isaak seems to take in every deep breath, and celebrate what’s beautiful about the world.
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