Pages tagged “aqueduct”

Solid outing from indie stalwarts

Fearlessly updating ’70s soft rock for The O.C. set, Aqueduct shed any pretense of indie cool with Or Give Me Death. Mixing reverb-y, Brian Wilson-inspired vocals with strutting Chicago horns and fuzzy prog-rock synthesizers, vocalist and songwriter David Terry writes songs brimming with ambition and bitter overstatement. And just when the heart-on-sleeve earnestness and pastel synths seem to be in danger of becoming a bit too precious, he'll slip in a wavering vocal or a glammy guitar line to add a little textural weight to the mix. It's hardly perfect, but it's bolder, more complex, and ultimately a more fulfilling release for this band.

For Aqueduct (aka Tulsa’s David Terry), a few hours in the basement with a keyboard, a zip drive and the odd guitar produced the pseudo-pop album I Sold Gold—an equal dose of processed hooks and unabashed nostalgia. Highlighted by the gimmicky-but-fun “Growing Up with GNR” (which first appeared on 2003’s Power Ballads) and the self-proclaimed “Roman Polanski Version” of “Frantic,” the album is narcissistic, repetitive, underpowered and yet strangely compelling in its quirky construction and directness.