Test Spin: Tex La Homa

I have an editor. He’s the one who asks us critics to weigh in each week on some indie releases that may have “slipped under the radar.” Sometimes these records are pretty good. And sometimes — just once in a while — these records are simply fantastic. These are the gems that make us shake our heads in bewilderment and wonder why the major labels insist on releasing so much rubbish every year. Then there’s the new release from Tex La Homa, an album that doesn’t fit into either of the aforementioned categories. And that’s because this record is just plain bad.

If Just Today … is the debut release from HybridElectric. But the album can be most aptly described as sort of like an experiment with a Casio keyboard and a four-track gone terribly awry. Mr. Shaw seems unable to muster any real sense of purpose in his compositions. Songs like “Closer To You” and “Of Electronic Origin” feature a frustrating lack of movement, although they’re heavy on the synth squiggles and layered samples. And, unfortunately, when the actual songs do come, it’s too little too late. Sure, the record has its moments but, for the most part, the writing is unremarkable. Thanks, dear editor, for making sure this one didn’t get “under the radar”– although, frankly, that’s exactly where it belongs.

Archived article by Mathew Gewolb