Todd Terje: “It’s Album Time” (Olsen Records) Todd Terje has finally released his debut album a decade after releasing his first EP in 2004. The fun, cheesy album uses a handful of songs Terje previously released, bringing back old favorites, but the album is still uniquely new. Whether it’s a warm view of the beach or a let’s-get-freaky disco club, each track brings a different mood. A variety of strangely quirky yet fitting effects are used throughout the album, adding a funky vibe into the mix.
Terje, with the help of Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music fame, also covers a Robert Palmer song, the surprisingly sad “Johnny and Mary.” It tones down the album almost precisely in the middle, a little too early to suck the fun right out of it. However, with more enthusiasm than anywhere else in the album,
Terje infuses as much vivacity as he can into the final track, “Inspector Norse.” This song leaves you with excitement but without quite forgetting the abrupt change in the mood halfway through listening.
The album is still slightly overachieving in the disco department, but Terje has pulled off an interesting feat. Though he dips into ‘80s dance music with some gusto, the songs still sound distinctly modern, even if it is more like background music.
Grade: B PLUS