We previously featured Teanko for exploring authenticity with the thought-provoking single, We Still Believe the Voice, so when we heard that the visionary Dutch artist was back with Between Two Selves, we were curious to say the least, and couldn’t wait to listen and share our experience.
Between Two Selves opens with a high-octane and dynamic 80s guitar soundscape, expanding with textured drums and intricacy before Teanko shares poignant reflective (literally) lyrics about coming to terms with self-realization. His vocals are emotive and the journey feels very real and relatable.
The message of the track invites us to look at the person we once were and the person we have become. It feels very zeitgeist, and feels apt for how many of us are experiencing society and ourselves today in the face of so much anxiety and global turmoil. For this, we are grateful. There is something deeply human about the way Teanko approaches this transition. He acknowledges every version of himself and finding peace somewhere in between.
We learn that in essence, Between Two Selves is about growing into a new chapter without rejecting the chapters that came before. On a humankind level, this is very poignant. It can be interpreted on an individual and collective, universal level. As much as it is about retirement, reflection, old photographs, memories and the realization that life doesn’t have to remain in constant motion, it feels bigger. Teanko explains that the song emerged after he began looking back through “old photographs” and rediscovered “memories and music from many different periods.”
The most poignant moment arrives with the line, “But this is where I’m exactly meant to be”. It feels less like a conclusion and more like an affirmation. A realization that there is nothing left to prove. As Teanko puts it, “I’m no longer moving forward because I have to. I’m moving forward because I want to.”
We could imagine Between Two Selves fitting well into a coming-of-age film for older generations, perhaps alongside the reflective emotionality of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty or the intergenerational warmth of About Time. There is also something reminiscent of artists like The War on Drugs, Bruce Springsteen, and The Cure in the combination of forward-moving rock energy and introspective songwriting.
Ultimately, Teanko has created a song about looking backwards without becoming trapped. It reminds us that reinvention doesn’t have an expiration date. We have added Between Two Selves to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Teanko, including Midrange, and Apple Pay.