Formerly known as Tall Pines, Australian trio Terra Pines have just released their debut self-titled LP, and it is a mighty good one, since on it the band splendidly bring together a heavy blend of shoegaze, dreampop and post punk, characterizing their sound with impossible to ignore terms, such as "sludgepop" and "grungegaze".
Right off the bat, from the eye-catching, vivid painting on the cover, the album is an undeniable winner. Kidult, the single which introduced us to the new LP, was a great representation of the band's ferocious genre-fusing sound, still, there were ten more exemplars where that brilliant song came from.
Founded on gritty, yet, memorable guitar riffs, and the band's all around skillful musicianship which includes driving rhythms, enticing bass lines, hypnotic, mellow vocals, a whole lot of reverb and considerable heaviness, Terra Pines' debut offers an acutely emotional listening experience, often shifting between confidence and agitation, and recounting sentiments that fluctuate from bright exhilaration to total discontent. It is a thrill-ride of diversified moods, feelings, sounds and styles, albeit a solid, well-constructed album which flows elegantly from start to finish.
Terra Pines has comfortably earned a place among the most impressive debut albums of the year. Kidult, Dream Big, spirited opener Extreme Handshakes, moody closer Tiredal Wave, are all terrific songs, carrying quality features and executed to perfection, but Terra Pines' charm as an eleven-part unit works with even more efficiency.
Terra Pines is Kelly Hanlon (guitar/vocals; also of DEAFCULT), Owen Dengate (guitar/vocals; Ghost Notes) and Cameron Smith (drums/vocals; Spirit Bunny, Tape/Off).
ZR