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CD REVIEW ON EOM > Artist: Terramara
Album: Four Blocks To Hennepin
Here is a band who doesn't seem to venture outside of their home base in Minnesota, although the rest of America, if not the entire planet, should give them a listen. Very eclectic jazzy pop-rock, at times reminiscent of Steely Dan, The Police, XTC, and Joe Jackson, while possessing a uniqueness about them. Perhaps the strongest point of Terramara's music is how infectious it is; with an emphasis on melodies, grooves and fine-tuned yet completely natural sounding arrangements, not to mention superb musicianship and production, there are no "filler" spots to be found on Hennepin.
Terramara consists of keyboardist/vocalist Rob Meany, guitarist/synthesist Karl Koopman, bassist Erik Pedersen, and drummer Dave Thomas, augmented on three tracks by a horn section and some guests.
Kicking off with "Running Down The Avenue", the band immediately takes charge, with a start/stop verse leading into a bouncy chorus. The horn section is employed on "Crying Shame", a funky blues number vaguely resembling a mythical Stevie Wonder/Tower Of Power collaboration. "Rise And Fall", "Wooden Man" and "Invisible People" continue to make full use of creative dynamic approaches to verse/chorus construction, which is an important aspect of Terramara's sound.
"Black And Grey" and "Freedom" are the easiest two tracks to compare to Steely Dan: complete with horns, rhythms, and some tasty guitar work. "Outrunning Headlights" features only Rob Meany on piano and vocal, delivering a performance that's equal parts Ben Folds and Billy Joel. The funk-rocker title track follows, which then segues into a bonus track: a slow, spacey, repeating instrumental piece that builds into a multi-layered electronic orchestra.
Four Blocks To Hennepin is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys out-of-the ordinary pop-rock music.
5.0 STARS
Reviewed By Gina
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