On “All Your Cousins,” the opening alt-pop track of Tasneem’s latest EP Just Before the World Ends, Tasneem channels the many voices of a revolution. Grounded by the song’s steady guitar rhythm, Tasneem croons, raps, and spits and when all of these voices are depleted, the coos of a saxophone provides another rallying cry. In a particularly powerful moment near the beginning of the song, Tasneem warps their voice to be a group of folks crying: “me too.”
Amongst the protest signs, the fortifying cheers, and collective energy of the song’s revolution, Tasneem returns to one line: “I wish that you were here.” Although this lyric is repeated a number of times, it never loses strength and, in turn, is a source of strength and a reminder of why we fight: for love.
“All Your Cousins” is a love song for our troubled times.
