You’d be forgiven for thinking that “Snorting Lines Of Tumeric” was some kind of new fad cooked up in the kitchen of a zucchini noodle-growing, kale pesto-crushing yuppie chef. Instead, it’s the title of The Steezies new EP, a line taken from ‘Anarchistic Amadeus’, the first song they ever wrote as a band. Both the track and the EP’s subsequent title take a lighthearted stab at societal norms and the conventional pressures that we’ve stupidly imposed upon ourselves.
“We all look the same / We dress up the same / We dance around the same,” lead singer George Kirkinis sings matter-of-factly on ‘Mina’ a vibrant, bilingual ode to individuality, which has a flamboyant music video to boot. This group is anything but “the same”, instead they’re the antithesis to their lyrics, bucking any current trend by forming a multi-coloured style and indie-funk sound all their own.
Lyrically, this EP operates on so many levels it’s going to take you more than a few listens to unpack it all. Whether they’re detailing how jealousy has fueled the fire of any art and literature worth caring about since the beginning of time (‘Anxious Nauseous’) or urging you to break free from whatever filthy force it is that has you in a chokehold (‘Khululeka’ translated meaning ‘Be Free’), there is a rich subtext bubbling beneath each surface.
There’s also a quintessential diss track (‘Get Along’) that deals with the feeling Kirkinis was left with after some snooty bitch was mocking the way he was dancing. “Hold on / Get along / Pack your shit up move along.” That about sums it up right. And while thematically it might not necessarily fit with the rest of the EP, it’s the most interesting mix of foot-stomping folk and funk.
And lest we forget the track that once earned them the title of “that vegetarian sausages band”. Characterised by an afro-pop-laced melody reminiscent of ‘Graceland’, while ‘Tshisa Nyama’ may appear to be about seduction via a vegetarian platter it’s really, “a critique on the male sexual psyche as epitomized by South African braai culture.” Let that digest for a minute.
The bottom line here is, despite all my efforts, this band cannot be boxed and that’s probably what I like about them the most.
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