Mick Terry and Baby Scream

Mick Terry “The Grown Ups”
Mick Terry, a buddy of Philadelphia power pop fave Jim Boggia, has a solid background that gathers influences from Beatles and Beach Boys with a dash of Lovin’ Spoonful. The album theme is a look back at childhood dreams, and it opens with the “Hoxton Song” a catchy tune with a nice hook and early seventies vibe. “Northern Exposure” is diary set to a piano melody, with great harmonies during the break – it’s one of the best songs on the album, full of hope and optimism. “Comets” is a Paul Simon-like shuffle tune and the vocal arrangements really stand out here. Other gems here include “T.E.D.” and  the simple ballad “Tinseltown.” Lyrically Terry displays a wisdom suited to a mature singer/songwriter and fans of both Simon and James Taylor will find these stories compelling. There are only nine tracks here, but each one carries the narrative forward – no filler here. Take a trip down memory lane with Mick, you’ll be glad you did.

Mickterry.co.uk | CD Baby | Amazon

T.E.D. by Mick Terry

Baby Scream “Baby Scream”
Juan Mazzola returns with his third musical nugget, and unlike the last album this time he’s letting his classic rock freak flag fly. Juan told me he got a little help from Eric Dover (Jellyfish, Sextus) here, and it’s done some good. As with the aptly titled “Powerpop Crush” the heavy riffs and multi-tracking resemble a classic Teenage Fanclub song. “Exile” is another winner, a Badfinger styled anthemic rocker. The solid song structure on “Jekyll & Hyde” has a building synth and fading chorus that would fit nicely on Pink Floyd’s Final Cut.  “Mental Case” has a driving rhythm and nice guitar work, although Juan’s vocal gets a little overshadowed here. His approach is a nasal mix of John Lennon and Roger Waters. “Watching The End Of The World” is a good example of this, with some good orchestration amongst the chorus. Other tunes, like “Lazy” have a decent hook, and “What About You” showcases some nice guitar flourishes. Overall a good album with lots of musical depth to explore. Keep up the good work Juan!

MySpace  | Amazon | Itunes (Mexico)