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Acoustic Syndicate "Terra Firma"

Lord Bryan | Tennessee, USA | 03/10/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I saw these guys play in my town several months ago, and I was amazed at how good their performance actually was. If they ever decide to make a live album, it will sound just as good as any studio material they've released, guaranteed. Perhaps even better. I wanted to get some of the older albums, but naturally, the CD store only had Terra Firma, on North Carolina's Sugar Hill label. Steve McMurray is an amazing guitarist, the precision of his playing at the speed he plays it is extraordinary. His brother is excellent on the banjo, the bassist is awesome, and although not nearly as noteworthy as the musicians I've mentioned, the drummer plays good, solid beats that keep an exact pace with the music. What a great mix of rock, pop, bluegrass, and country. Order this album immediately for a pleasant surprise.Standout Tracks: My Turn, Vanity, Fleeting Moments, The Laughing Child, 10:06, Commentary, Red Birds"

Get syndicated

morgan martin | Shelby, North Carolina | 06/17/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"each album keeps getting better and better. i love acoustic syndicate. this album is great, a very well produced disc for their first sugar hill records release. a bit more rock influenced than the previous records, its a very fresh direction for acoustic syndicate...and i believe its this sound thats gonna put them on top of the national jamgrass scene. with newly inducted 'unofficial' fifth member jeremy saunders on the sax, this record cant be beat. buy terra firma and see them live...i've seen em at least 20 times. a syndicate show is musical nirvana to say the least..."

Explosion

Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 08/07/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Terra Firma" is my first CD by this band; so while I can't compare it to their other 3 CDs, I can tell you it explodes into a joyful fusion of jazz, folk and bluegrass that is thoroughly enjoyable. The brothers Steve, Fitz and Bryon with Jay Sanders work up a great groove on the opener "Vanity." "Red Birds" has a soft pretty melody, combining banjo & a horn section, "Oh the bills come today & the ball just won't roll in the snow; her man has gone away, a fallen angel, 14 stories back in May." "The Ballad of Marie St. Lauriette" is an epic ballad set in Haiti with a full sound and arrangement, "Born the daughter of a poor man, she watched her family die in vain, swept away by the flood of the mighty hurricane." "Fleeting Moments" is a song for a Philosophy 101 class, "Happiness, prosperity, the common quest, taking all of our lives, we feel it slipping away, longevity, infirmity, dependency." "10:06" has some great harmonies and a vibrant feel. The closing title track boasts Jay's electric bass on a great jam. "Terra Firma" is a treat. Although all tracks are good, there is no breakout track. Even so, Acoustic Syndicate breaks down the borders between musical styles with excellent musicianship. Enjoy!"