Aqueduct
Or Give Me Death
Barsuk Records

David Terry and his musical alias Aqueduct may not be household names but they have been in your living room. Quickly after the release of his debut full length, I Sold Gold, Terry took his keyboard and hit the late night talk show circuit, performing on NBC’s Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Last Call with Carson Daly. The single performed was Hardcore Days & Softcore Nights, a stand out track made popular by its simple, repetitive melody and some juxtaposed white gangster posturing (“Don’t ever ask me where I’m from…because if you start asking/I’ll pull this heat I’m packing”). The track was also selected for mixtape #4 of the O.C., appearing alongside hits from big players like Imogen Heap, Beck, Sufjan Stevens, and Modest Mouse. For a new band on an independent label, the exposure was momentous. Now, two years later, Terry is back with a new record, Or Give Me Death, and trying to capitalize on this early success.

The most noticeable difference between Or Give Me Death and I Sold Gold is the expanded use of electric guitar and grand piano. On I Sold Gold Terry was the definition of the bedroom pop artist, relying on heavy drum loops, synth-blips, and a strict electronic pallette of instruments to convey his song ideas. Here, however, the songwriter shifts his arsenal to include more organic instruments (piano, horns, strings) with a much heavier focus on vocal melody. The result is a solid album that avoids the claustrophobic qualities of its predecessor while exploring it’s newfound freedom with both excitement and passion.

Even so, on the much grander scale, Or Give Me Death might not be the right vehicle to propel its songwriter to mainstream stardom. It is devoid of any radio ready singles, which is surprising considering the momentum coming into its release. The most upbeat track and the closest to matching the mainstream appeal of Hardcore Days & Softcore Nights is Broken Records. With the opening line “You are so over the top, I’m so over it now, like a backwards hat you better turn it around” and its light, bouncy rhythm, I can see it being performed live on a Conan or Letterman. There are other tracks such as As You Wish and Keep It Together that show FM friendly promise with their distinct keyboard and vocal hooks but their slow bridges and break downs might leave them better off as bright spots on an evenly solid album than isolated singles.

The final verdict is that while Or Give Me Death is a very rewarding and entertaining independent release, it would have been interesting to see what Terry could have done with more accessible sound. Judging by the material and growth present, it’s not a stretch to imagine he could create something both successful and worthwhile with the mainstream format. Maybe next time?

[mp3] As You Wish
[mp3] Living a Lie
[full album stream] Aqueduct -Or Give Me Death stream