Aqueduct

[August 29th, 2007]

[POWER POP!] David Terry, the pop mastermind behind Seattle’s Aqueduct, must have magical powers—there’s really no other way to explain how one man could be responsible for so much catchiness. Originally a solo act, Aqueduct debuted in ’03 with the aptly titled Power Ballads —which, awesomely, contains homages to GN’R and Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! And Terry’s songwriting has only grown since: On Aqueduct’s ’07 release, Or Give Me Death (his second for Barsuk and first with a band), Terry’s not shy about his affection for the Beach Boys, but Aqueduct takes those sunny melodies and embellishes ’em with punchy beats, ’80s-inspired mega-choruses, lovably jocular lyrics and the most addictive keyboards this side of Mates of State. Let’s just hope the surgeon general doesn’t get wind of this shit.