Love Yes by Teen (CarPark Records)

TEEN is an American alternative rock group based out of Brooklyn, NY. The all-female band started in 2010 and, after a few sparse releases, the group announced its newest album, Love Yes, on Feb. 12. This album is powered by synth pop and a rebirth of the 1980s alternative rock scene.

Love Yes track “All About Us” specifically brings back the 1980s dance vibe that many loved, or hated. The track begins with upbeat synths and the girls chanting, “It wasn’t all about us,” before breaking off into more, equally Prince-like, pop ballads.

This album, however, is more than just a dancey synth pop album. The album is an exploration of disharmony— the struggle that a woman’s sexuality and spirituality can spur within her psyche, to paraphrase TEEN’s album preface.

Kristina “Teeny” Lieberson, the main vocalist, brazenly articulates these themes through her lyrics. She delves into her identity as a woman, her sexuality, her desire, her place in society, and her construction of love.

From “Tokyo,” which deals with the idea of a mid-life crisis (Lost In Translation, anyone?), to “All About Us,” which illustrates the feeling of being “the ex,” a vivid story is generated. With that story, an evocative emotion and a strong identification with the music is conveyed.

The clear maturity and knowledge in TEEN’s sound is ironic due to the band’s namesake. But the audacity the group has taken to create such an emotional and conceptual album—one that is simply about life—is what is truly underneath the spunk and entertainment of their music.

—Sarai Nissan