As an eternal optimist, the chance to review a band with that term implanted into their vibe was an easy decision. Some would say that this is a recipe for bias reviewing, I would rather see it as a an extra brownie point before I had even cracked open the computer salivating in anticipation for some retro nostalgic soul grooves of the 60’s and 70;s, not that I was there in person, only in spirit.
The first thing that struck me about this band was its artwork, very groovy, so groovy in fact, I felt like I was back to my late teen years anticipating what Austin Powers was going to do next. The sound is very different to anything I have heard lately, and the band should be exalted for going in this direction. I like the sound they have produced; it moves the hips into action and on the odd occasion, the hamstrings flinch into action.
The first song on the EP Soul Baby is my favourite track, with a raspy deep toned opening guitar rift, and followed by a dance floor filler drum entrance, to help us to some hip gyrating funk groove. The second song Dance Dance goes on the same journey with a funk entrance that quickly comes in with an upbeat melody that follows you through the song. It always impresses me how the slight nuances of sound can be put together in different ways that seem to work well and flow with the general vibe of the music. Look at me becoming all philosophical, I suppose that is what this band does to me.
The final three songs You’ve Got to Groove, Dance Master and Good Time Groove on the EP are not as strong as the opening two, though I cannot fault those opening riffs that are very ‘funkadelic’, but certainly still keep the hips gyrating forwards. Overall, I like this EP and it will definitely be added to my music collection to add a new mix to a heavily concentrated sounds of rock music.
Terrence & The Optimistics were frozen in the late 70’s and were recently thawed out to fight the evil Dr Depresso, who is holding the world to ransom for 1 million billion dollars by threatening to release another decade of sad and depressing music unless his demands are met. Having not lived through and experienced much of the recent sexual revolution, their music is still full of sexy disco dance themes from the 70’s. However, they believe their music is truly futuristic sounding as it has a groovy 80’s disco/alt-rock vibe.
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