Teho Teardo – Grief Is The Thing With Feathers Review

I hadn’t been aware of Teho Teardo’s work before but having just discovered his soundtrack for the play ‘Grief Is The Thing With Feathers’ – I am in awe. Teho is primarily a composer and arranger of stringed instruments and across the thirty minute soundtrack – he often takes just several notes and hammers them at you.

Currently being used as part of a sold out play of the same name in London (with Cilian Murphy no less), I can’t comment on the stage show itself – but the soundtrack is haunting. Each of the eight tracks is full of suspense and there is a recurring stabbing grind of a single thudding note that reoccurs throughout. It’s like a heartstopping brick wall and the way how this sludge smacks you sonically is akin to how grief rips your heart emotionally. It’s really quite powerful. The taut tenseness reminds me perhaps of some of the ‘Requiem for a Dream’ soundtrack in its relentless pursuit of your sanity.

From the onward march of ‘Hop Sniff and Tackle’ to the bludgeoning tension of ‘London Offered Us Possible Mothers’ to the eerie confusion and laments of ‘This is the Story of How Your Wife Died’ and ‘Unfinished. Beautiful. Everything.’ – the feels just keep coming. It’s not an easy listen. The soundtrack goes out of its way to make sure you are pummelled. That is exactly why I was so engrossed and engaged with its creepy, horror movie otherworldliness.

Whilst the stage show itself is sold out, the soundtrack is available now. Fans of things like ‘Requiem for a Dream’ and Clint Mansell’s darker work will love this. I was enthralled from beginning to end. Teho Teardo has made something beautifully horrific and I will be diving into his back catalogue ASAP!

Recommended track: London Offered Us Possible Mothers

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If you have this release, you can comment with your own score below.

Teho Teardo - Grief Is The Thing With Feathers

9

9.0/10