Aqueduct…Or Give Me Death
This album’s been a long time coming considering I saw David Terry, aka Aqueduct, live in Seattle way back in June when he touted the album would be out by fall. Well, that never happened and it looks like February 20th is the new winner for the album’s release date.
Found on the ever-great Barsuk, David Terry’s Aqueduct strive this time around for a slightly more mature sound. He’s been known for straight synth-laced pop gems before, and while I loved the old Aqueduct, I wasn’t as surprised as I thought upon hearing the new Aqueduct. With Or Give Me Death, Terry goes a bit lighter on the synth, and adds a more diverse arrangement of instruments like “mariachi horns, Gershwin-esque strings, looped and layered vocals, and grand piano” as the label describes.
“As You Wish” is easily the most different sounding song Aqueduct has ever created. It starts off with a Beirut sounding horn part and breaks into a piano driven sing-along with multiple vocal parts as well as saxaphone parts. Of course, for every “As You Wish”, there’s an equal song like “Living a Lie” that’s vintage old-school Aqueduct as he has always been known. It really comes down to what your Aqueduct preference is, old school or new. The only flaw I see with this album is that inevitable decision Or Give Me Death will undoubtedly force his fans to answer. The more listens I get with this new album, the more I enjoy the slightly awkward balance from old to new Aqueduct, but I may be putting too much emphasis on that factor. What it boils down to is we finally have a new Aqueduct album to listen to after such a long wait. I’m liking the album more and more with each listen, and if you were an Aqueduct fan before, then this should be a very good thing to hear. David Terry will never escape the fun, synth driven pop sound he’s become known for no matter how much he tries to play more complex music, but as long as a good amount of the album is synth driven, he can experiment all he wants. Or Give Me Death isn’t the best album of the year, but it’s a satisfying follow-up to the excellent I Sold Gold.
Or Give Me Death comes out February 20th on Barsuk. Buy both albums for $20 here.
Aqueduct’s site / Buy/stream the new album / Aqueduct’s Myspace
Hardcore Days and Softcore Nights (from I Sold Gold)
