Porij - Teething

A lot of the minimalist debut from Manchester-formed, London-based electro-pop outfit Porij owes a debt to UK garage, in the driving drum patterns that lay the foundations for the band’s otherwise breezy melodies. It’s a key component in a largely unclassifiable sound, one that leans into extended builds and select crescendos, and that isn’t afraid to pull itself back to make space for the bigger moments. When they come, they hit hard; not least on the dancefloor-ready ‘You Should Know Me’ or the latter moments of ‘Unpredictable’. Elsewhere, ‘Teething’ sets a gentler pace, bookended by the more musically-reserved ‘Marmite’ and the vocal-led ‘Slow Down’. But even in these moments, vocalist Egg’s words pack a punch. “You don’t stand a fucking chance,” they snarl on the opener’s soon-to-be-iconic spoken word intro, while the album ends with an echoed sigh of melancholic relief: “Finally I’m on my own”. It’s indicative of the confidence that runs through the band’s long-awaited debut, one that paints ‘Teething’ as both the party and the comedown.