The Terms
Small Town Computer Crash
Maple Jam
The Terms are all students at Louisiana State University, but concentrating on their studies hasn’t stopped them from producing an astonishingly well-written and polished debut of indie-inspired rock. A riff reminiscent of Keith Richards and The Rolling Stones on “Neutron Bomb” may kick off Small Town Computer Crash, but the emphasis on soaring choruses, jangly guitar solos and a distinctly “now” look bracket the band in with the likes of Franz Ferdinand or the much-missed James.
Grammy-winning producer Greg Ladanyi signed the Baton Rouge band to his Maple Jam label in 2004, after being so impressed with their demos and live performances, and his faith is entirely justified on uplifting pop songs like “Outlier” and the epic title track. There’s a real depth and a hypnotic element to The Terms’ melodies and vocalist Ben Labat’s voice that is truly captivating. Take, for example, the beautiful “There She Was” and the strangely-titled “Gulf of Tonkin,” which gives a jaunty guitar-led southern twist to The Terms’ sound.
Although their music is quite different, The Terms are following in the footsteps of a certain English band by the name of Coldplay, who also formed whilst college students. Whether The Terms go on to enjoy the same level of success is another question, but Small Town Computer Crash gets the band full marks as a promising starting point.
The Terms: http://www.thetermsmusic.com
