By: David Schultz

For bands that spend a lot of time the road, the release of a new studio album usually fails to generate high levels of excitement. The loyal fan base is already familiar with many of the songs, having heard them in concert; for others, the mantra of “you have to see them live” isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement for any new record. With Raise Up The Tent, San Francisco based Tea Leaf Green have created an album that rewards both groups: it’s fresh enough to satisfy the thirst of those who have already drunk deep from TLG’s cup and potent enough to given new listeners a decent sense of what this band is all about.

A mighty live force, Tea Leaf Green’s last release, Rock ‘N’ Roll Band, a companion disc to the DVD of the same name, served as a Cliff Notes summary for those arriving late to the Tea Leaf Green party. Taking their time in following up, Raise Up The Tent opts against the formula of simply hitting the record button while the band does their thing in the studio. Rather, Raise Up The Tent complements rather than substitutes for the band’s live show. To wit, “Let Us Go” and “Not Fit” fade out right at the point where live versions would soar to another level.

Tea Leaf’s first studio release in close to three years, Raise Up The Tent puts Trevor Garrod’s melodious keyboards, mellifluous voice and thoughtful lyrics at the forefront with the talents of Josh Clark (guitar), Scott Rager (drums) and especially Reed Mathis (bass) only sporadically coming to the forefront. Instead of focusing on Tea Leaf’s exceptional musicianship, the album places emphasis on the songs. A loose, relaxed effort, Raise Up The Tent plays up Tea Leaf Green’s strong points, pulsing and bouncing along to a sprightly beat best exemplified by the frisky opening trio of “Let Us Go,” “Don’t Curse At The Night” and “Red Ribbons.”

Noticeably absent are a proliferation of Josh Clark’s guitar heroics. There are some nice solos scattered throughout the album but his most noticeable effort is his own “Stick To The Shallows,” a reflective tune that benefits nicely from Garrod’s Hammond organ work as well as his understated banjo, which gives the song a slight country twang. “Shallows” and Garrod’s slacker-tinged “Not Fit” have nice lyrical turns but it’s “Slept Through Sunday” and “Keeping The Faith,” which gets a nice kick from Rager’s jaunty drumbeat, that are Raise Up The Tent’s most complete efforts and nicely showcase just how good Tea Leaf Green truly are.

Bands painted with the jamband brush often have trouble getting their studio work taken seriously. With more efforts like Raise Up The Tent, that perception will have to change.

Labels: Tea Leaf Green