My Terminal And The Trip - Promo 2010

As an experienced reviewer, the most rewarding thing you can ever have in this job is to be constantly introduced to new sounds, styles, and experiences. I've recently launched a promotional campaign to get new artists reviewed on here and been swamped with many styles I usually know nothing of, or care for. Nathan Carlo Baldini's My Terminal And The Trip is a textbook example of this, as it labels itself as a Cure-influenced New Wave project. Guitar-driven Electronica has never really done *that* much for me - I'm of the belief that the two should never meet.

So, this self-released, free to download and share EP starts with "Numb" - A track that immediately made me expect some modern-sounding Pink Floyd imitation. The track starts off nicely, with a pleasing hard guitar that plays throughout. I also like the vocal melody that carries us through the bridge, into the main structure of the song. Like all music of this style, something just falls short, and doesn't cause the light bulb in my head to flash.

"Bleeding Me" is much calmer on the Introduction, and immediately becomes one of those tracks where I want to sit up, hoping that something extremely clever and memorable will transpire. It's not an immediate grower, but has the kind of feel to it that drew me to Tool, and A Perfect Circle (Before I became an unreasonable Aggrotech nerd).

The remaining tracks are a nice mix of calm and heavy guitar work, with enough variety to really keep the listener interested. For fans of guitar based Electronica, I can't disagree with this release. However, it is a scene, in which I simply cannot care for and this album will not change my view. Nathan, however, is a very talented musician, and this release is completely free.

Give it a shot. Nov 10 2010