by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Cincinnati’s Tedward are dipping deep into the lo-fi fuzz with their latest single “Peace,” a song that crackles under the weight of blown out distortion and thick melodies. After three years of raw but sweet shoegaze punk tunes, Terence Lee seams to be at a crossroad, noting his latest single “could be the last ever Tedward track,” but you never know. If it is, it pays homage to his well-worn influences well, diving heardfirst between feedback driven pop and syrupy hooks.
“Peace” is an immediate song, blasting out the gate with a dreary wall of sound, the tone bleak but massive all the same. Lee eschews abrasion though as “Peace” sounds heavenly, the dirge of distorted guitars and pounding drums embedded in swollen melodies, drawing upon influences like Ovlov and Stove. It’s a fitting sound for a song that revolves around making the most of your time, with a hard fought positivity. Lee opens the song by singing “Find relief in the present, don't wonder why stillness feels so unpleasant” before embracing the prospect of brighter days, singing “what's the point If you're not free for the moment where the best is yet revealed to you”.
If this is the end of Tedward, it’s a nice sentiment to leave on, if it isn’t the end, well, then it’s a nice sentiment until the next.