Eric Alexandrakis
Terra Firma
Minoan Music

When an artist sets out to create a collection of music solely from his or her own input, the intimacy of such a single-minded act is akin to reading a private journal.
If it’s pulled off, the album can be proof of creativity or an exercise in competent self-reliance. Otherwise, an artist can be overwhelmed by their indulgences without a band to edit input.
Terra Firma EP fumbles into the latter.

It lacks a consistent direction, jerking between shallow posturing of Animal Collective-esque electronic swirls and uncoordinated alt-rock.
The Terra Firma EP never quite escapes the trappings of a vanity project.

Noted in its press release, Alexandrakis “[wrote], recorded, arranged, produced, performed and mixed” the entire EP “on a primitive 16-track recorder spontaneously and almost entirely in one take.” It shows.

The sound quality hovers around sub-par, with instruments barely distinguishable from each other and a tin ear for melody.

This does little to alleviate the questionable lyrics, which range from cloying ready-for-Hallmark tidbits (“Bloom”) to childishly self-centered or vindictive (“I Love Me,” “I’ll C U In H***”).
But special mention goes to “Grass In Your Toes,” a track seemingly designed to test the endurance of a listener’s patience and, under the dynamics of any functioning band, would have been recognized for how truly obnoxious it is.

In its welcomed brevity, this EP is either a heavy-handed satirical attack on solipsistic immaturity, or uncomfortably sincere when a bit of restraint would be welcomed.
- Brian LaCour

Beneath It All
Hey Monday
Columbia Records

“I don’t wanna dance/so don’t you ask me, babe,” belts singer Cassadee Pope, lead vocalist of the band Hey Monday. The band’s sophomore EP “Beneath It All,” the follow up to first album, “Hold On Tight,” capitalized on the band’s alternative/pop sound and Pope’s soprano vocals. The female vocals and the band’s tight sound bring a much-needed breath of fresh air to this sad, Auto-Tuned world in which we live.

Each song is well mastered and brings its own unique sound and feel to the album. The single released prior to this album, “I Don’t Wanna Dance,” is clearly its cornerstone. It has all of the instruments playing strongly from start to finish, making this break-up song empowering as opposed to depressing. This song, with its catchy melody and positive message about moving on, will leave anyone with the insatiable need to rock out (did I really just say that?)

The album’s opening track, “Wish You Were Here,” is an anthem with soft melodic choruses bursting into hard and impassioned choruses. In “Wondergirl,” a heavy bass line is present and the band incorporates a synth into the background of the verses. The band slows things down a bit with “Hangover,” but speeds things up and adds an unusual beat to “Mr. Pushover.”
“Where Is My Head” closes the album on an upbeat note that relies heavily on the guitars.

While the majority of the songs are about the same things, each song has its own unique melody (although the chorus in “Wondergirl” sounds suspiciously like “She Wolf” by Shakira) and offers something different to the album.

While it’s not a musical masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, it’s the type of album that goes down easily and is pleasing to the ear. “Beneath It All” is only $5.99 on iTunes and is well deserving of its four-star rating.
- Mike Correlli