TERRACOTTA PIGEONS
EVER FOREVER NEVER ALBUM REVIEW
Self-Released
By: Fridae Mattas
I pop this record in and load it to my handicapped iTunes library, My computer had a virus and some losers tried to hack in several times in the past few months, end result my whole music library was erased. Haven’t had the chance to find all my CD’s and re-up everything. This album in particular has been sitting in the envelope for months, I did say I would review the record and I always try my best to follow through on my word. It’s been a while since I wrote an album review and I was writing another but decided to take a few minutes away from Eminem’s ‘Recovery’ record to speak about this album. Terracotta Pigeons is a band founded by frontman Steven Smith, they migrated to Toronto from Australia for North By Northeast and that is where I first saw them. You can check a video from their performance here.
We shall see how much ‘Truth’ these Pigeons can handle because I am listening to the first song titled ‘Truth’. The music starts in with Drums followed by Bass and Axe sounded great and then the vocals hit, I don’t know what it is but my ears don’t feel the vocals, too nasally and they come off contrived, during one of the hooks, chorus, whatever it is his vocals cracked and it did not sound good. As for the song in general it’s pretty long and boring, at least spice up the musical intermission with a guitar solo not just the same melody over and over. Note to bands: *Just because autotune is popular ( it should be banned for overuse) and to you it sounds cool when you try to rap doesn’t mean you should do it or release it period.* Honestly, I’m am so sick of autotune that from now on when I hear a track with autotune I will skip, NEXT.
There are a few reasons why I prefer to cover live shows opposed to record reviews, it’s hard to always be telling artists their music is shit and dash their dreams, I’m honest about it but it never feels good. I prefer to help dreams grow and not kill them. Records are boring these days everyone sounds the same that is why I like listening to my old school favorites and discovering other retro tunes I wasn’t allowed to listen to as a kid. As the record plays on, the second track titled ‘Lips Are Burning’ sounds one and the same to the first track ‘Truth’, vocal arrangements, melody, even the distorted Red Hot Chilli Pepper -abee style is the same. I can’t even listen to the rest of this song. The next tune starts in musically interesting and then there’s this ever forever never repetition that throws everything off because it doesn’t fit, I get that it is the title but my ears hear space filler, clearly none of the tracks thus far impress me, I am still waiting to be blown away.
The next track played also sounds the same as the others, the problem is the melodies all sound indistinguishable. He probably doesn’t hear the resemblances because they are his songs and his ears cannot differentiate the melodies, really why aren’t other people in his camp speaking up? It’s beyond blatant. The only track my ears like on this record is ‘Pins & Needles’ it does not sound like anything else on this record and is listenable. There is a Drum solo track on this record called ‘Bridge’, singer Steven Smith is also the Drummer of the band. He handles the sticks well but why not change-up the beat and melody? Use your creativity, that’s your instrument, you are a Drummer Steven, not a singer. The last track on the record is ‘Jungle Muse’ I listened to the tune for the first minute then pressed mute. I couldn’t take anymore, the vocals sounded as if he was plugging his nose while he was singing but with this pitchy mumble, the diction was muddled and I could not understand some of the words. Take a listen for yourself check them out on Myspace your ears can decide if you like, obviously you know my answer. I would recommend getting a second or third opinion before recording anything for a follow-up record because this one is immensely superfluous. Vocal lessons are highly encouraged, you will find your voice if you truly have the gift.
www.myspace.com/TERRACOTTAPIGEONS
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