Search - Terami Hirsch :: To the Bone

Eloquent and intelligent; a girl-on-piano must have

Kristen C. | Mountain View, CA | 03/09/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is a triumph in emotional storytelling, inventing characters and relationships while moving quickly to your heart. Some lyrics seem ghostly, seeing the world though not really being there; it is still seen in songs like "Stained" ("on the chair is a stain that I left there, it remains unseen by you") and "Raising the Dead" ("you think you see an idea of life inside her, but buried deep she sleeps").

It's also an introspective album (especially in "Boxes," "Everybody [Inside This Skin]"), but not so much as Terami's mainly confessional first album, All Girl Band; it instead proves to be mainly a relationship album. "Fire" is a relationship burning to the ground, leaving smoldering passion after the betrayal ("I will always hold this heat for you"). "The Breathing" explores a smothering relationship, and the escape ("a good girl knows her place, keeps her head low underwater... I know the sign of a good time, I know because it hurts, now I want to get out of here"). We are gratefully given snippets of a happy relationship that nevertheless requires room to breathe in "Until You" ("how little I believed, until now, until you... so give me air and I'll be fine"). It's clear that the idea of one's life being altered and affected by the close presence of another has in fact deeply affected the songs. The songs rely more on percussion and synthetic beats (care of Kevin Benson), carefully laid down over Terami's beautiful piano. No longer are we peeking into Terami's bedroom door, peering into her diary; this is not such a raw production. That doesn't discount her previous style, but it certainly adds a new level of depth and emotion. Terami is able to tap into darker themes such as co-dependency and betrayal, and yet also give the highs in relationships equal validity. Overall, the album is excellent, and the collaboration between Terami and Kevin to weave new musical paths is both exciting and inspiring. Think Tori Amos on "To Venus and Back," with more heart, more brain, and maybe a little less pipe smoke. You will love Terami."

Terami music is an enriching experience....

emotional wench | NC United States | 02/09/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Wow. People had been talking about Terami Hirsch for months in a music message board I post at, and it was only a few weeks ago I finally bought her CD. Now I can't believe I waited so long. "To The Bone" reveals Terami to be an amazing new artist who deserves all the recognition she can get. She has a warm, sensual, emotional voice that seems to caress you as you listen to it. Her piano playing plus Kevin Benson's added instrumentation also make the songs sound gorgeous. But what I like best of all about her music is the melodies and the lyrics. One can really relate to the messages that Terami is trying to convey through the words in her songs. Many of my favorite songs on the album - "Pet," "The Breathing," "Everbody (inside this skin)," "Falling" - deal with the struggle of finding one's strength and freedom. Terami sings honestly about her own vulnerability and her own humanity, and I think her songwriting is a therapeutic experience for both herself and her audience.I hate to compare one artist to others, but I must say that anyone who likes Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan, Mary Timony, Kate Bush, Charlotte Martin, Fiona Apple and Heather Nova would thoroughly enjoy Terami as well. That's my one complaint - she doesn't quite sound really unique yet. And some of the songs themselves on "To The Bone" sound a bit too similar to eachother. But I'm sure as Termai continues to write and release music, her already wonderful songwriting will grow and she'll be stand out among all the others. Do what I should have done ages ago, and buy this album. You won't regret it."