Tetine
From a Forest Near You
Dante had Virgil lead him through the forest, but there is no one to guide the listener through the tangled webs of monotony and yelps that overshadow Tetine’s From a Forest Near You. This DIY, home-recorded collection from Brazilian duo Bruno Verner and Eliete Mejorado suffers from an identity crisis. Though together for over a decade, Verner and Mejorado are performance artists at heart and they can’t seem to strike the right balance to make this a pleasurable listen. On one hand, the album is mostly a collection of exotic pop tracks characterized with metallic clamors, wiry synth tones, and Verner cooing on bright tracks like “Electric Sun Ra”; on the other hand, the flow is continuously interrupted by Mejorado’s drawn-out protestations on the artsy-fartsy tracks she sings lead on. Her wailing on “You Bought It” challenges mainstream taste, and the effect is quite disturbing, thereby rendering the album a freakish hybrid. As a duo known for a chameleon-like style, Tetine is always changing and challenging listeners, but these tracks are poorly integrated and this effort stalls. For all of Verner’s highs, like “Nao” and “Beautiful Day,” Merjorado’s pulverizes any sense of lightness. A flawed execution leaves listeners wandering at a loss for ultimate salvation.
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