music: heard

> THE TEA PARTY: TANGENTS
The Tea Party is ready to become one of the great American rock bands except for the fact that they are from Canada.

By Michael Mikotowicz
Music Critic

On the heels of a studio album released earlier this year, The Tea Party has just completed their collection of hits, Tangents. The Tea Party is ready to become one of the great American rock bands except for the fact that they are from Canada.

The Tea Party is a three-piece outfit that has been cranking out music since the early 90s. The band consists of: Jeff Martin (vocals, guitar), Stuart Chatwood (bass) and Jeff Burrows (drums). They have enjoyed commercial success across Canada and are now ready to cross the border.

Tangents is a culmination from their previous efforts. This disc showcases the bands unique recording style and their use of many different instruments not found in today's music. "Walking Wounded", the CD opener, features their signature melodic sound that builds into an infectious chorus, giving the listener an indication of things to come.

Other hits included are the powerful and raw "Temptation" which shows the fury the band is capable of. The tempo is constant with other classics like "The River", "Sister Awake" and "The Bazaar".

The Tea Party also slow things down on "The Messenger", "Heaven Coming Down", and "Release" which all contain excellent lyrical content and the haunting vocal style that Jeff is becoming infamous for.

If you are not familiar with The Tea Party, Tangents is a great place to start. Once you are hooked, the bands earlier releases are all memorable. Starting with their debut album Splendor Soils in 1994 all the way through Triptych which was just released earlier this year.

The band is currently in the studio working on their next release, which is due out at the end of 2001. The Tea Party are poised and ready to make an impact on the US and permeate our airways with their impressive sound.

(2001-0119)

The Tea Party
Tangents: The Tea Party
EMI Records

Track Listing:

01. Walking Wounded
02. Temptation
03. Messenger
04. Psychopomp
05. Sister Awake
06. Bazaar
07. Save Me [remix]
08. Fire In The Head
09. Release
10. Heaven Coming Down
11. River [remix]
12. Babylon
13. Waiting On A Sign
14. Lifeline
15. Paint It Black

related links:

The Tea Party - official site