Back in April saw Teika & The Raw Beat share their new album, "Bones'n'Stones", and since then, we've latched onto the 12-track strong release, while loving it in the process. Following a trio of singles back in 2023, this album came out after a gap of over a year, but this will easily fill any void their fans may have had.
The charismatic opening really sets the tone for the whole release, with a cinematic set of strings, moody vocals that feel almost like they've been lifted from the 1950s and some soaring guitar tones too. Once this opening track finishes, you head into a track that sounds almost like a Bjork track with added funk; it's a real change of pace, but that is exactly what we like with artists these days – take that chance!
There area couple of sub-2-minute tracks on the LP too, initially I thought these were interludes, but the first one is far from that as it gives you a glimpse into Teika & The Raw Beat's more punk-leaning side.
Moving towards the middle of the LP you're greeted with the moody "Mr.Savoiout" with it's scattered percussion and synth tone, followed by a dark cut in the form of "Ragged Plumes" before the very relaxing tune "The Journey (Goes On)" comes on, seemingly put in to give you some respite from the concoction of sounds that came before.
The grandness of the previous track bleeds into "To My Knees" in a subtle way, with the tempo of this giving off a dark pre-1950s sort of sound, almost like it belongs in a black-and-white film.
The final few tracks of the album come thick and fast, with a Radiohead-type track, "Angel at my Door" coming up before my favourite cut of the album comes in. "Gone With The Wind" is brilliant; it has strings, huge vocal moments and swagger-filled percussion that meets a commanding bassline – if I had one track to pick above the track, this would be my pick.
The piano-led "Naked Eye" and "Falling In Love" come at you as a double-header before it all closes out on a soulful and bluesy-sounding tune, "Save A Light", and it's there you take account for all it's worth. This is a great ride of an album and showcases the wide range that Teika & The Raw Beat has; for a new fan this is a must!