- It is a massive seven years since alt-country duo Texas Tea have produced an album. Their last offering, Sad Summer Hits, came out in 2012 - a culmination of three albums and lots of popular singles which had permeated the airwaves of independent radio over the preceding few years. The Brisbane based outfit then went into a hiatus that seemed like it was going to be permanent - in part because one half of them moved literally to the other side of the world, to take up residence in Stockholm. That one half Brisbane, one half Stockholm situation still exists today - and whilst it might have been a reason why more recordings had not been forthcoming, the content of their brand new album - Röda Tråden - suggests that this situation of geographical separation may also be a reason why this collection of songs has more depth, variation and resonance than anything else they’ve released to date.
These are still recognisably Texas Tea tunes: the vocals, the vibe and the verisimilitude all see to that. There’s extra bounce though and extra depth which should win new fans as well as thrill old ones who have been hanging out so long for new Texas Tea to sip on. Some songs have more instrumentation and variety, some have more space and silence. Collectively they bind together into one hell of an album.
In a way the album’s title highlights the sense of risk in producing this record. Seeing if two separated souls could still produce something meaningful. Röda Tråden is Swedish for red thread - an expression that’s used to describe something connected by a common theme, a work or story that is written with a consistent thought. It is resonant of the notion of a golden thread: an intangible almost imperceptible quality which binds something together - whether it be an idea, a movement, a shared sense of society, a relationship or ... a band. It’s hard to describe and impossible to see - but you know when it’s not there - or particularly when it disappears.
Is Texas Tea still able to produce music which has that sense of connection that makes every good band greater than the sum of its parts? You betcha! As their new song says – I’ve Been Way Too Long. So make the most of this chance to renew your acquaintance with Texas Tea and start listening to Röda Tråden.
- Andrew Bartlett.