Album Review

Terefe Whitecross – From Here To Helsinki

• 29th May 2009

“From Here To Helsinki” is the second release from Terefe Whitecross. Having produced and colaborated with A-Ha, KT Tunstall and James Morrison, you would expect a record filled with songs ripe for radio consumption.

And how wrong you would be.

Quite how to take “From Here To Helsinki” is a difficult decision to make.
The pulsing beats of opener “Even Giants Fall”, coupled with the hushed vocals call thoughts of Eels, which certainly pricked my ears up.
The whistled hook and gently strumbed guitar of “The Collector” does little to dispels such comparisons.
The electronic throb of “Silent Protest Song” indicate an album that threatens to takeup residence in your stereo.

However, tracks like “Jesus Was A Hippie” and “Whale Song” wouldn’t seem out of place if they were performed by Kiwis, Flight of the Concordes, rather at odds with the rest of the record.

There a moments of sheer beauty contained within, such as the ‘fall down’ refrain of “Monk And The Rapist”, however the overall feel of the album is let down by the almost novelty element of some tracks.

Perhaps the fact that the duo have only appeared live once, 12 years ago, has lead to an output which, at times, feel all too self-indulgent. A shame, because some of these songs hint at utter brilliance.