Tri State Corner Ela Na This Review by Larry Toering
Tri State Corner is a multi cultural rock band with Greek string instrument the bouzouki. This helps put the prog in progressive, so naturally I'm inclined to call it prog. It would be a good guess to assume that never before has the bouzouki been featured this way.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2011 Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
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A hard hitting start pulls no punches with powerful and passionate vocals. This is a very spiritual rocker inflected with the bouzouki jangle.
My Saviour A thrashing about kicks this off with a very frantic pace, and it just proceeds to get more complex by going off in various directions. It includes soaring melodies and sharp guitar fills with a catchy chorus and a pounding beat. An interesting mid section seals the progressive vibe.
Ela Na This This is the title track and an epic number it is, with plenty of glorious bouzouki. This sells the disc alone with its bone crunching hook. A bouzouki solo makes this one of the prog highlights. It doesn't get any finer than this.
Out Of Sight
A little more on the rock side this one cruises right along with a monster rhythm and huge chorus.
Remaining Moments This one introduces the bouzouki/guitar riff, a very cool effect backed with heavy percussion. "This is the first day of my life..."
Welcome To Paradise A metallic riff complete with high pitched squeal opens this darker rooted number with large buckets of soul to go around. This is the heaviest prog oriented number on the disc.
Alone Bouzouki takes a front seat here on this interesting track before it's gone, only to return so magically throughout one of the CD's best cuts.
Yesterday's Tomorrow Like the title says, there is more to offer, you just have to choose which direction you want to find it in. This is not one of the best here, but it still belongs. It’s a little on the hard side.
Ontario Trello Excellent bouzouki is featured all over this track. It is one of the more youthful and culturally diverse tracks.
Too Late I love the vibe here. There are excellent drums and vocals. The percussive backed vocal approach on here is amazing.
I'm Dying "bo umieram" A killer vocal changes things up on this brooding ballad, easily one of the high points on Ela Na This. It is an outstanding and very impressive piece of unplugged work.
Tri State Corner Things close with a nice hop along groove with a shouting chorus. It ends an excellent hard rocking prog heavy release in a great way.
