Tarmac Adam began its musical journey back in 2003. Featuring the rhythm section of Paul Hester and Nick Seymour from Crowded House, their debut became an underground cult favorite on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. It received airplay on several outlets in the US without ever having been released in America. But before Tarmac Adam made the trek overseas to fully realize the potential of their first record, the bigger calling of fatherhood had beckoned the members and they had to refocus their attention to their paternal responsibilities.
It was those experiences that inspired lyricist Matt O’Donnell to write again, and a decade later, new songs emerged. So enticing were the songs that Nick Seymour got on a plane and the rest is The History Effect. The album’s very cover shot, an endless roadway vista, reflects its ten-year journey. The album opener “Chalk On Slate” builds up to bright backup melodies and keyboard organ layers that dart around Seymour‘s dancing bass. Guest vocalist Maddy Hay offers a haunting cameo on the lush “You As Me“, a song that is bittersweet with shades of the kind of romanticism reminiscent of the pre-Brit Pop bands of the early 90s. “Giving It Back” starts with bossanova harmonies that are interrupted by a low guitar and laidback chorus. The songs on The History Effect will sometimes temporarily drop out to soundscapes and synthesizers and kick back in with the confidence only found in veteran musicians.
On The History Effect, Tarmac Adam paint a musical picture of never ending spaces. They’re making sense of everything they’ve experienced since their last record with the aid of a mental open road and a restraint we all have in common: time.
Recommended Tracks: track #1 “Chalk On Slate“, track #3 “You As Me“, track #6 “Giving It Back“, track #9 “Window Pane“
RIYL: Elbow, Death Cab For Cutie, Wilco, The Shins
Going for Adds 2/18 & 2/19
FCC CLEAN
Label: Onesize Records
