Far From Tellus
s/t
Impeller Recordings
Far from Tellus' self-titled album is a swirling, cohesive, and, most importantly, damned entertaining effort, combining elements of folk and blues, 70s rock and 80s pop, all on their own terms. Like some strange marriage between The Kinks and fellow Norwegians Superfamily, Far from Tellus ramble through decades of inspiration, tying these echoes together into seamless, layered, and often anthemic compositions. Also, like the aforementioned Kinks, Far from Tellus have a fine relationship with the poignant and the playful, never allowing the latter to overpower or besmirch the former: "Norwegian fairytale mix" blossoms to life with such swagger upon layers of guitar, piano, and banjo, only to transition into a gloriously simple and memorable chorus; "Mogens" opens with a strummed banjo and closes with enough rock organ to make any Zeppelin fan happy, its middle section reminiscent of the clever, driving compositions of Herr Nilsson, yet another Norwegian outfit (I'm sensing a theme here); and seven-minute closer "Bless our souls" builds beautifully to its wonderfully raucous ending, reminding me of Britpop acts like James throughout. "Far from Tellus" is an impressive display of talent and songwriting. I wouldn't be surprised to find it on my Best of 2010 list, even with almost half a year left to go.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
