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Terra Firma: Terra Firma

The title seems to be the only thing particularly earthbound about this album from Bay of Plenty five-piece Terra Firma. Clearly unconstrained by any desire to play things safe, songwriter/vocalist Pete Newitt strikes out to all points of the musical compass, taking in folk, protest rock, ambience, country, psychedelia, mangled vaudeville, wistful ballads, wilful weirdness and more besides. The varied instrumentation, superb arrangements and imaginative production make the whole thing work despite its sometimes-schizophrenic tendencies. The tracks that work best generally belong to the 'serious' end of the spectrum, where Newitt's haunting tenor voice weaves around sparkling layers of acoustic guitar, strings, nicely understated keyboards and electric guitar. Apparently the band's fans would have thrown a wobbly if they had not included their paean to agricultural life - NZ Green, but it, and a couple of the more straight-ahead numbers like Politician and Hep A perhaps reflect a band that no longer fits these clothes. Songs like Rain, Coming Home, Far Away and Slide are infinitely more spacious, original and ultimately rewarding, a band finding its own unique voice. Impossible to pigeon-hole, a self-funded nugget of huge dimensions. www.terra-firma.co.nz

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