By: Aidan Morris
Massive instrumentation, mature arrangements, cerebral lyrics, and oh so many tasty riffs: this is Teenage Fiction at their best.
Teenage Fiction’s new EP, “Déjà Rêvé,” is a vibrant exploration of emotional depth and existential questioning, all wrapped up in a diverse sonic landscape.
Anchored by the distinctive vocals and songwriting prowess of Sandy Vance, the EP traverses themes of connection, disconnection, and the search for authenticity in a seemingly artificial world. From the infectious grooves of “Ghost in the Machine ft. YARNS” to the introspective journey of the title track, “Déjà Rêvé” promises to leave a lasting impression on listeners, making it a noteworthy addition to Teenage Fiction’s growing discography.
“Ghost in the Machine ft. Yarns” opens the EP with a White Stripes-style drumbeat before a fuzzy bass hook kicks in to guarantee this track will be stuck in your head. While this hypnotic groove has you in its hands, Sandy Vance’s vocals punch you in the face.
He begins with the classic contrasting characters of a guy-girl story, though we’re quickly reminded that this isn’t a Taylor Swift song with Vance’s iconic vocal fry. Instead of relying on played-out stereotypes, Vance uses the guy-girl archetypes to question his perceptions and existential self. These played-out and disingenuous characters cause him to question the validity of his reality; can he trust his experience as he reflects on these disingenuous two-dimensional characters?
For the non-philosophically inclined, the ghost in the machine is a concept born out of Cartesian mind-body dualism. Put simply, the mind exists within an artificial reality separate from what is real. This song makes me think of the girl in the red dress from The Matrix; while people can be drop-dead gorgeous and have seemingly compelling characters, they can often be a distraction from the underlying reality of what’s truly important. This is echoed through the song, as a deep longing for genuine connection and fundamental separation from reality. This longing for connection is a consistent theme throughout the EP..
“Wishing Well ft. Yarns” is a distinct change of pace, opening with guitar scratches and synths that blow the door open with a full horn section. This track is intensely satisfying, the horns and guitar riffs are perfectly balanced; everything feels very intentional and well-designed. It’s an ambitious high point for the project; the broad instrumentation and the wide array of influences on display kicks the project up a notch.
The song speaks to the struggle to express oneself, that one’s words of struggle communicate the heavy lift of emotional turmoil and damage. Consistent with the theme; longing for connection through bouts of overthinking and mental gymnastics, trying to overcome their mental inhibitions and raw nerves.
“Déjà Rêvé”, the title track, ties the project together in the middle. This track deviates from conventional songwriting form, with a clear separation between the front and latter half. This song takes you on a journey, from a driving fuzzed-out front half to a dreamy reflection in the latter half.
Vance describes the concept of déjà rêvé as “an experience people can have wherein they have the strong sensation that they have already dreamed something which is currently happening to them. Similar to a déjà vu”. An interesting, if nuanced, angle to take to dreams. Stereotypically dreams in media and literature serve as allegory, revelation, to emphasize recurrence, or the “it was all a dream” cliche; here they are referring to a one-to-one recreation of a dream to reality. This is mirrored in the songwriting, with repeated softer iterations, eventually stripping down to vocals and guitar. The repeated “I’m all alone” near the end of the song speaks to the theme, if not to my little emo heart. Further, it underscores the isolating feeling that a recurring Déjà Rêvé experience must bring. To be alone in a recurring set of experiences both while awake and asleep, with others unaware and blissfully ignorant of the recurrence, I would be longing for connection too.
Moving on, “Victoria Park [Saudade Version] ft. Yarns” was released as a single this past February and fits into this track listing perfectly. The song opens slowly with its iconic riff, soaked in delay, drawing the listener in close. The cascading vocals paint a beautiful soundscape, with each flowing over the other, reminiscent of a burbling creek. As one of the more downtempo tracks on the EP, this track is all vibe. “Victoria Park” is one of those songs which has a continuous crescendo, as it builds and builds, the vocals gradually align for a triumphant break at the end of the song. This is both satisfying and mystifying, I am always a sucker for signing in rounds.
As a once-resident of Kingston ON. I used to live right next to Victoria Park, and I only wished that this song had been released years earlier so I could have listened to it on my way to class walking through the titular park, sharing the feelings of disconnection. This song speaks to dissociation, with repetitive “walk, walk, walk”-s and “sleep, sleep sleep”-s paired with lyrics that speak to disconnection through allegory; the tools this song employs to communicate its meaning are simply effective and creative.
“Libra Season” ties out the EP with a bang. Opening with a neck-bobbing riff and caveman drums, it soon blossoms into a chord-driven power pop anthem.
Released as a single this past January, “Libra Season” is what got me excited about this project months ago. This song ends the project on a note of hope, patience, and emotional vulnerability. It’s a twist on your traditional love song, Teenage Fiction-style. With all the hallmarks: a repeating form and catchy hooks, but still adhering to the theme of longing for connection, or in this case, reconnection. The song’s multiple breakdowns are so rich, layering rich harmonies and intricate instrumental work that elevate the emotional intensity. This song is an awesome conclusion to the project, as Vance sings about feeling reconnected, if only in a hopeful sense, the change from disconnection to reconnection is a powerful choice.
As with the rest, the songwriting on this track is impeccable, blending heartfelt lyrics with lush instrumentals to create an unforgettable closing piece. Each element, from the driving beat to the soaring melodies, works together to encapsulate the essence of the EP, leaving listeners with a powerful hopeful note.
An independent effort, Teenage Fiction has created a project that is a joy to listen to. Sandy Vance, wrote the music and lyrics for the EP, with the band in a transition period from solo project to full band, with members Mackenzi Drew (guitar, vocals), Jame Reid (drums), and Maggie Sterlikova (bass) contributing to the process. Martin Dewagne (YARNS) contributed electronic/synthesized production elements to three tracks in which he is featured. Dewagne’s contributions were recorded in sessions completed after the bulk of the recording was finished, Vance describes these sessions as “really fun sessions where we just went with our wildest and most playful ideas”.
The songs on this EP were written independently and were curated from Teenage Fiction’s collection of unreleased songs. Surprisingly, it was only in hindsight that the theme of longing for connection was identified; these songs seem as though they were conceived collectively. Vance assured me that this is just a drop in the bucket of material to be released and that Teenage Fiction has “hundreds and hundreds” of songs in the backlog planned for release.
“Déjà Rêvé” will be released on June 5, with a release show the same week, Friday, June 7 at the Rainbow Bistro featuring Root Cause, Organ Eyes and Neon Ghosthouse.
“Ghost in the Machine ft. Yarns” and “Wishing Well ft. Yarns” were mixed by Stefan Jurewicz of Kick Me Records, who also mastered “Victoria Park [Saudade Version] ft. Yarns” and “Libra Season.” Jason Jaknunas mastered “Ghost in the Machine ft. Yarns,” “Wishing Well ft. Yarns,” and “Déjà Rêvé,”. “Déjà Rêvé” was mixed by Vance.