Sisters Ashleigh and Melissa Ball aka Teal follow their brilliant “Blueish Green” EP, and its off the hook remixes, by bringing a brand new 9-track album, “Love Comes Thru” to life for cool Canadian imprint, Spiritual World. With production from label founder, N1_Sound, it’s a smooth, sleek journey through stripped back, bass heavy, indie R&B. Relaxing, warm, glowing. Pure pop that’s equal parts TLC and Inc. on 4AD. 

Loved-filled lyrics are delivered whispered, wistful, with a daydreamy quality, that’s complimented by the music perfectly. The B-lines, lithe, live, while drum machines ping, pop, rattle and ricochet. Their slow, shuffling beats recalling Balearic’s “Movement 98”, and soul snuggling up to sound system culture. Additional colour coming from sensual synthetic swells, fluttering flute flourishes and gentle jazzy keys. N1_Sound occasionally shaking things slightly with his now characteristic, Mad Professor influenced, metallic mixing desk effects. In places, transforming snares into aquatic splashes. 

Spiritual World and N1_Sound made their first vinyl release in early 2024, and listening to Teal’s debut long-player it’s incredible how, in such a short span of time, polished the label’s productions have become. While that first 12 was undoubtably excellent, and had me piqued from the start, it was a relatively, perhaps purposefully, authentically raw hit of post-punk, inspired directly by Cabaret Voltaire, and referenced acts such as A Certain Ratio and Jah Wobble. Here, however, on one of the highlights from Teal’s LP, the ballad “Change Your Mind”, rather than a boisterous, belligerent funk, they summon the slinky, seductive serenades of Sade. All be it dropped into extravagant echo. 

Teal’s “Love Comes Thru” can be ordered directly from Spiritual World.