It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to remain neutral when it comes to writing a music review. We would rather say it now & upfront, because when we were looking for the words to introduce this artist and this EP, our emotions – not to say the immediate love at first sight we felt from the first listening – interfered with our own judgment. And you will quickly understand why : TETHA is the embodiment of what’s next on the French dark pop music scene. By inviting her audience to step into her inner world, shaped here by electro-organic melodies, and by guiding them on the path of some heavy, contradictory emotions, TETHA takes us on a unique musical & sentimental journey with her first EP called “Bound To Lose”. Have a listen below!
“Clumsy & harmless,
I see the spider’s web”
– BLAME – TETHA
It will not take more than a few chords played on harp strings for TETHA to let her voice express itself on “BLAME”, and for our skin to be covered in shivers. Swaying between clear and raw vocals, TETHA’s voice express the various feelings that are at play within her ; produced by Bauma, the melody highlights TETHA’s voice & lyrics through the prism of its electronic production. And although the song’s rhythm seems familiar because it indeed sounds pop, all the elements that have been used to build this rhythmic melody are experimental, dark, unexpected, effectively turning “BLAME” into a tour de force & setting the bar very high for TETHA and the rest of her EP.
“Face to face with your invisible self
You tried a connection”
– BLUE-EYED GRASS – TETHA
And yet, as “BLAME” ends, while we think we have navigated through the most parts of TETHA’s artistry, we find ourselves caught off guard as “BLUE-EYED GRASS” starts. Produced this time by a producer who is none other than Fhin and who has just released a featuring with French singer & rapper Aloïse Sauvage, this song stops us in our tracks, showing us new soundscapes and new emotions. While the lyrics can be interpreted in many ways, TETHA is talking about a fictional entity she has just encountered – and it is precisely the nature of this entity, this “hologram” that TETHA mentions & describes at the beginning of the song which remains open to interpretation.
Similar to TETHA : Fhin’s “Love Attack” : a guide to a 3.0 love story
Is this hologram somewhat part of herself ? The question remains unanswered as we get to listen to “BUT I DON’T THINK I AM THE SAME”, a track that tells of the changes that take place within us as we heal from life’s ups & downs, leaving us changed while letting our core identity remain unscathed.
It would be very tempting to glance over the rest of the EP with you, but we would rather have you explore the rest on your own. In any case – as you most probably have felt through the very elegiac tone of this music review – we are already looking forward to hearing what’s next to come in TETHA’s music career.
We leave you with the interview we had with her while we previewed her first single & music video, “BURN”, so that you get to learn a little more about her!
Read her interview : Premiere : “BURN”, TETHA’s enigmatic first single, casts a light on the self-destructive part that we all have in us
TETHA is to be found on all streaming platforms. You can also follow her on Instagram !
