Terrell Hines’ music falls somewhere between TV on the Radio’s post–Cookie Mountain synth-heavy reinvention and Young Fathers’ career-spanning hyper-experimentalism. Yet his citation of Joy Division and fellow Georgians OutKast as primary influences is hardly surprising, given the respective somber tone and frequent left turns that populate his debut EP, St. Mark Road.
Opening with Dear Science–era handclaps and a smooth R&B falsetto, “Get Up” (also a Young Fathers song title) is bursting with radio-friendly, Auto-Tuned contemporary pop energy in spite of its raging experimentalism. “‘Get Up’ is the entry point to the EP because of its genre-bending style, leaving the project open to exploration,” Hines tells us. “It’s a postmodern composition about plutocracy while experimenting with genres and timbre.”
Transitioning into the breathy, vibe-rich “Feel Good,” Hines’ layered vocals and tribal percussion set a completely different musical landscape. “‘Feel Good’ is a piece that explores the unknown through curated musical landscape,” he continues. “Really wanted to give the listener an auditory scene that reflects my emotions as an artist.”
For closer “Living for Today,” Hines employs somber piano and a pattering snare to highlight “an uneasy peacefulness through the narrative of a post apocalyptic ecosystem” that weaves through all three tracks.
St. Mark Road is out now—stream it below, or check it out here.
