Terror At the Opera

Snake Bird Blue (No Sides)

By Amber Drea
Published: May 31st, 2004 | 3:02pm

When an accordion is a major part of any band, polka inevitably rears its ugly head. However, Terror at the Opera takes advantage of this genre by slowing down the tempo, adding a whole lot of reverb, and throwing in some Hawaiian, Caribbean, and reggae rhythms. On their first full-length, Snake Bird Blue, guitarist Gretchen Gonzales, who apparently is a fan of the pentatonic scale, solos surf-rock-style while accordion player Faith Gazic creates a haunting pulse. The incorporation of Moog-produced beats and toy piano on some tracks further contributes to the duo's eerie sound, which seems to be drawn mostly from the '50s and '60s.

The 13 songs have been compiled from demo, studio, and live recordings as well as from compositions for a film score. While Terror at the Opera's music could easily be set to Italian mob movies or something by David Lynch, elements of country and western are also present in Gonzales' crisp, slightly distorted guitar sound and playing style, reminiscent of Neil Young. She and Gazic often sing together in unison or harmony, Gonzales' girlishly raw alto contrasting with Gazic's strong and clear vibrato. Their songs are mysterious and intriguing tales filled with vivid images and metaphors, such as animals relaying the message that, despite light snow and possible rain, "it's going to be a lovely day." Another song warns a soap star not to "let the sun obscure you," and in a love letter to Johnny Appleseed, Gazic croons and wails, asking him to spread his flowers all across her property.

Though Snake Bird Blue is more of a random collection than an album proper, it's a fair representation of Terror at the Opera's unique sound and shows the potential for much more to come.