Following their acclaimed debut Flower of Life, L.A.’s underground favorites Taleen Kali return with a new single that dives deeper into their darker side.
Crossed unleashes pounding rhythmic shifts, walls of fuzzed-out guitars, and vocals that swing from commanding to sweetly sinister. Blending post punk, L.A. punk, and shoegaze, the track trades sunlit surf moods for gothic tones, becoming an urgent soundtrack for turbulent times.
Taleen Kali comments on the song: “The opening lines of the song are ‘Rose is a rose’ which is from my favorite Gertrude Stein poem ‘Sacred Emily.’ It’s meant to convey ‘it is what it is,’ or ‘things are what they are.’ I wanted to write about how matter of fact things are in life when the only choice you have is to ride the waves of grief. I lost my grandmother in 2023, the year we released our debut album, and the song ‘Crossed’ is a personal exploration where I’m just trying to make sense of the loss. Missing my favorite person on earth and wishing I could find a way to commune with the dead. The artwork features an Ethiopian cross that my grandmother always used to wear from her hometown of Addis Ababa, which she passed onto me.”
The band recorded at The Cave Studios with producer/engineer Josiah Mazzaschi (Light FM, Bizou, Child Seat), with mixing by Chris King (Cold Showers, Kai Tak). Marking a new chapter, Taleen stepped in as co-producer for the first time, while bassist Miles Marsico took on drums in the studio.
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Taleen Kali
Dum Dum Records
Cover artwork by Maddie Freeman-
