Tiali wowed me with their single “Icicles” late last year. It was so raw and personal, I couldn’t wait to hear more. They deliver and then some with their debut EP The Pleasure Pit, a collection of intimate songs that pack a real punch.
The opening track “Jigsaw” is bold and grungy, making sure you know this EP, and in fact this artist, are not to be ignored. Tiali makes their presence felt, whether they’re rocking out or stripping things back. Their lyrics are honest, often brutally so, and you can feel Tiali’s emotions bubbling just under the surface in every line they deliver. Songs like “What Kind of Man,” which calls out toxic masculinity, and “Icicles,” the album’s commanding closer, make for a powerful listening experience.
Speaking of the album’s inspiration, Tiali noted that “The Pleasure Pit is a place we all know. It’s the place we go to indulge, to ease our pain. It’s drugs, alcohol, sex, cigarettes, junk food, love. It brings you comfort, an escape, a high … until it doesn’t. The void that sucks you in, the detachment from reality, the noise that silences your mind, the chaos that momentarily calms you.”
I can imagine these songs bringing a similar comfort to people who hear them. They’re unflinchingly real, powerful and painful, but in sharing these stories Tiali reminds listeners going through their own struggles that they’re not alone. The Pleasure Pit is an exciting, brave first EP from an artist who no doubt has a massive future ahead.
If you like what you hear, catch Tiali at one of their upcoming shows:
9 September 2023 – Long Jetty Hotel, Darkinjung Country/Long Jetty
15 September 2023 – Low302, Eora/Surry Hills
22 September 2023 – The Lady Hampshire, Eora/Camperdown (supporting Packing Dhaka)
25 November 2023 – Drifters Wharf, Darkinjung Country/Gosford (supporting Sunsoli)
10 December 2023 – Let the Good Times Roll Festival @ Memorial Park, Darkinjung Country/The Entrance
Images used with permission from Sony Music Australia