By Caleb Stanislaw
Ting Tang Tina is soooo good, it’s almost aggravating–I found myself wanting to hear more, and louder. Deftly executed, the musicality of Ting Tang Tina shines on every track. Irritated and jaded, a little pissed and definitely not amused, T-cubed goes great with your heartbreak and your frustration, but they don’t alienate the listener–every song feels conversational, like a story, or a journal entry. Love is Trippy (Dreamy Life Records) functions as a trunk line to the emotional woes of millennials, but somehow the stark realities exposed here are personal, well-worn, and broken-in, like a good pair of Chucks. This EP feels tattered, but tight. Somehow it makes you conscious of the same kind of good feeling as when you’re in the right place at the right time, in the right pair of cutoffs, with the right friends, and it’s a beautiful day, but you’re still pissed off at the world. There’s unity there. Love is Trippy feels comfortable because it comes from a genuine place.
Love is Trippy also functions on a higher level–the songs fit together like the ceramic shards of your favorite coffee mug, sharp pieces glued together with an emotional tenderness. In “Love us Robert,” the band really exhibits its ability to slowly build a groove, enveloping the listener in an awkward hug. The rhythm guitars are just right, and the Marcelene-esque vocal pulls your heart and attention right into the large, echoey, empty room inside of you. The title track, “Love is Trippy,” is anthamatic in its lonesomeness, while “Emo Teen Love” exalts the buzz of young love, but both are dressed in an immaculate post-punk glaze of ‘gaze. Ting Tang Tina emotes.
Dig into Love is Trippy for a glimpse back into your own wistful youth. Re-live the pains and hopes of being a teen–embrace the chemical imbalance one more time. T-cubed needs to stick this out–sure to mature, I hope they keep making music this real for years to come.
https://dreamyliferecords.bandcamp.com/album/love-is-trippy
