TERRAPATH

Plantoid is a Brighton-based four-piece that expertly manipulates textures to create an enveloping auditory experience. Jazz and psychedelia commingle on Terrapath, along with progressive rock, indie rock, and bits of folk. The sci-fi album art matches the hazy, otherworldly feel of the music. The band manages to establish a sense of musical continuity without coming off as repetitious or uncreative.

Terrapath begins with the gentle, jazzy guitar of "Is That You". It builds slowly, and the vocals have an otherworldly quality to them. This track does a great job of establishing the mood for this sci-fi-inspired album. It ends on a bit of majestic, fuzzed-out psych that acts as a fitting capstone to this opening track. "Pressure", in contrast, kicks off with a tense, high-energy riff. The drums and lead guitar skitter and jump around each other, maintaining a constant sense of excitement. The ending is a bit jarring, and it almost feels as if this song ended a bit sooner than it should have.

The energy tones back down on "Modulator". Plantoid embraces jazz on all elements of this song: melody, instrumental tone, and modal choices. Ugly, dissonant chords arise near this song's end, and I really like the contrast between the start and end of this piece. The brief instrumental interlude "It's Not Real" features woozy percussion and a lush sound palette.

"Dog's Life" has a jumpy, mathy main riff that reminds me a lot of late '00s prog acts like RX Bandits, Ticktockman, and Children of Nova. Despite the anxiety of that main guitar line, things remain rather restrained. Things finally explode in the last minute, with extraterrestrial synth embellishments and twisting, distorted guitar lines.

As much as I like the mellow jazziness of this album, I really enjoyed the contrast at the end of "Dog's Life", while the short "Only When I'm Thinking" brings us back to the usual calmness of Terrapath. A bit more grit here and there would have been nice.

"Wander Wonder" starts off a bit slow, but around the two-minute mark, the arrangement becomes stripped-back as a groovy but tense guitar line takes the lead. The arrangement gradually becomes richer and fuller, and it takes some fun instrumental detours. "Insomniac (Don't Worry)" flows naturally out of the preceding cut and keeps the upbeat tempo. It's got a catchy, caffeinated pulse that evokes the delirium of sleepless nights.

The heaviest riff yet on Terrapath opens "G.Y. Drift". It's a strange, ugly phrase, but it eventually resolves into a Latin-flavored guitar solo. In sharp contrast to the preceding instrumental, the album closes with "Softly Speaking". This song features fittingly subdued piano and quiet vocals, ending the record on a calm note.

Plantoid's debut LP is a solid bit of hazy, murky psychedelic prog. Airy vocal arrangements, jazzy clean guitar lines, and splashes of heavy fuzzed-out rock give this record an intriguing retro-futuristic feel. I'm excited to see how this band evolves in the future and how the balance of heavy and light compositions will continue to develop.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2024/03/18/album-review-plantoid-terrapath/