Midnight On the Reservoir

Album Review

With a swampy sound to match its cover art, California's Tea Leaf Green relies on a bouncy bed of Trevor Garrod's vintage analog keyboards. The result is a cool, breezy, and relaxed feel distinct to West Coast bands, with harmonies and melodies influenced by the kings of summery suburban rock, the Steve Miller Band. The band is less successful when venturing into country & western, such as on "I Believe" and "Sea Monkeys." There is a little experimentation with other forms, such as on the Frank Zappa-influenced vocal oddity of "Sister Said." The band's lyrical styles fall into the usual jam band category of lighthearted stoner observations with occasional attempts to invest the images with meaning ("Sea Monkeys"). When the band makes forays into funk ("Hot Dog"), there is a soft sheen over the music; what Jamiacan dub does to reggae, Tea Leaf Green does to white-boy funk.