From the Bay Area of California comes the band called MoeTar, and From These Small Seeds is their Magna Carta Records debut. Normally, you'd expect progressive metal from the folks at Magna Carta, however, Moorea Dickason (Vocals), Tarik Ragab (Bass), Matt Lebofsky (Keys), Matthew Heulitt (Guitar), and David M Flores (Drums) are more of a pop & prog band, offering up an eclectic and quirky blend of sounds that for some might be a refreshing change from what the label generally churns out.
The label points out that MoeTar offers "sonic references to Zappa, The Beatles, XTC, Gentle Giant, Stevie Wonder, Laurie Anderson and many others", and you can hear those influences on From These Small Seeds. Dickason has an interesting voice, as her pop/lounge style swims over the quirky and often times odd musical arrangements. "Random Tandem" is one of the more offbeat tunes here, a bizarre mix of Zappa & Beefheart avant-garde/pop/jazz/prog thing with Dickason's playful vocal musings playing off some complex instrumental passages. "Ist or an Ism" is one of the more rocking numbers, with some nice guitar work from Heulitt as the song veers from hard rock to prog and jazz. "New World Chaos" almost has a classic UK feel to it, and fans of harder edged rock will love the foreceful "Screed (Part Two), with its driving riffs, majestic piano and powerful vocals. The band goes for straight lounge jazz on "Never Home", Beatles-styled pop on "Butchers of Bagdad", and alternative rock on " Infinitesimal Sky"
From These Small Seeds has a lot going for it, and you can certainly say that the band has a pretty unique style. Sometimes the songs are almost too quirky and the band comes across as trying to be just a little 'too cute' for their own good, but I can easily see plenty of folks getting into this is a big way.
Track Listing
1. dichotomy (Part One)
3:57
2.
infinitesimal sky
3:02
3.
butchers of baghdad
4:19
4.
random tandem
4:12
5.
ist or an ism
4:58
6.
morning person
2:54
7.
new world chaos
5:40
8.
screed (Part Two)
4:40
9.
never home
4:50
10.
from these small seeds
5:20
11.
friction
3:08
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