Artist : Aqueduct Title : Power Ballads Label : Popular Reviewed By : John Estus Site : Link

The gift of freedom and patience that home recording provides shines on Power Ballads. With a little help from Trent Bell and Bell Labs studios, Aqueduct's warped version of ambient indie pop music revolves around lyrics of heartbreak and anguish; pop music that hits the heart and wrenches emotions.

Beneath the elaborate worlds of soundscapes and synthesizer heavy rhythms, Power Ballads journeys deep inside Terry's brain, a place we feel we've been before yet left answerless. Power Ballads answers those questions on a dreadful journey of stream of consciousness self therapy backed by a killer soundtrack.

Opened by "Assignment #1," the disc feels smooth in texture and flow, but Terry's dreary contemplation's ("Take me to a watery grave/never to be heard from again/well I swear that I'll still be there/I wish I could be better to you") shoves a little rigid irony into the calming piano work.

The drum machine has never been as powerful as the "bang! bang!" dominating the background in "Growing Up with GNR." The shattering breakup ditty paints a picture of Terry maniacally begging exit from the clutches of a smothering relationship, ripping apart his apartment, screaming out the window "whenever, whenever, whenever, you fall apart/forget her, forget her, forget her, she broke your heart!" A menacing bass line and dramatic piano provide a musical outlet for the rage, sounding similar to some Hollywood thriller's climatic moment of horror.

"Try It Now!" takes a step back from the aggressive, structured patterns dominating other tracks, featuring keyboard and guitar taking dueling lead roles (Trent Bell lends guitar work). It is slower in structure and delivery than the whole album, patiently presenting Terry's lecture with an astonishing ease.

The paradoxical breakup anthem "Revolving Door" speaks for the whole album, being as illogical as it is brilliant. Disclaimer to studio owners: hire Aqueduct apartment landlord David Terry or prepare to sign your eviction papers.