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Album reviews Music

>>> Album of the week: Tei Shi

When we caught Argentina-born, Vancouver-raised musician Tei Shi’s electro-R&B show back in November, the singer (real name Valerie Teicher) had indie “it” artist written all over her. Dreamy, effects-laden vocals and an icy cover of Beyoncé’s No Angel will do that. 

Her latest EP measures up. Admirers of the now-Brooklynite’s 2013 debut, Saudade, will recognize the same breathy voice and bedroom vibe, but Verde is a more consistent, realized pop-R&B statement. It’s by no means Queen B or even Solange, but compared to Saudade, the beats are bigger, the synth lines slicker, the song structures sturdier. 

Opener Can’t Be Sure echoes her earlier material’s beautifully layered vocal harmonies and languid mood, but throbbing production underneath lends it urgency. In contrast, See Me plays out over a lazily plucked, super-simple bass. 

Internet hit Bassically provides the standout moment: Teicher unleashes a heretofore unheard vocal ferocity, her moans becoming a circuitous chorus that gets louder and more ecstatic (or more agonized, it’s hard to tell) as the song goes on over increasingly distorted bass. Go Slow, meanwhile, has a precise, robotic quality akin to the Junior Boys. 

Sexy, hypnotic and fun. 

Top track: Bassically 

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