Terra Firma by Tash Sultana: The Perfect Oasis of Peace
For the last year or so, an artist who has continued to stay on my radar and has become more and more frequent on my playlists has been Tash Sultana. And as if I couldn’t get enough of Tash’s music, they released their newest record, Terra Firma, on February 19th. So of course I had to give it a full on listen and I am here to tell you that I am absolutely in love!
For some background, Tash is an artist from Melbourne, Australia who started out busking on the streets of Melbourne and creating homemade videos on YouTube. They first garnered attention for their 2016 single “Jungle” after receiving millions of views in less than a week of posting. They consider themself a “one-person band” due to performing all the vocals and instruments in their music over the course of their career. Tash can play over twelve instruments, which is how they have been able to succeed previously in the one-person band format. However, this newest record is Tash’s first release with a live-band format, as well as writing collaborations with Matt Corby and Dann Hume. Tash’s genre is considered to be a combination of psychedelic rock, reggae rock, and lo-fi giving their music an overall Zen vibe.
photo from Tash’s Instagram - @tashsultanaofficial
So now let’s dig into the album! For starters, when I give an album a first full listen, I like to listen to it in order, no shuffle, to see what type of flow it has or whether or not it tells a story. I also decided to look up what Terra Firma meant since I had no idea and it apparently is Latin for “firm land.” After learning the meaning of Terra Firma, it made me even more excited to see the significance of “firm land” while listening to the songs.
The album starts off with the song titled “Musk,” which features a perfect instrumental song to really set the tone of this record by featuring mellow sounds mixed with a little psychedelic funk too. Following “Musk,” the next few songs, “Crop Circles,” “Greed,” “Beyond the Pine,” and “Pretty Lady” enter into more of an easy listening vibe featuring Tash on vocals as well. These songs could honestly be the perfect background music for working, driving, or even just chilling at home. After some easy listening, we then get into some songs that are a bit more slowed down but provide some beautiful and insightful lyrics. “Dreaming My Life Away” features Josh Cashman and has my favorite guitar intro on this entire album. “Maybe You’ve Changed” is another one of the slower but insightful songs perfectly placed in the middle of this album. This song is probably one of my favorites and provides for a perfect opportunity for some peaceful self-reflection. The song following it, titled “Coma” changes up the vibe a bit with the use of an acoustic guitar to then lead into another easy listener with meaningful lyrics, “Blame it on Society.”
Tash then picks up the tempo and delivers some more fun upbeat feels with the songs “Sweet & Dandy,” “Willow Tree,” and “Vanilla Honey.” These songs also have a little more of a funk sound to them as well to make for some grooving or even just cruising around songs. The album then closes with the songs “Let the Light In’ and “I Am Free” making for the perfect wrap up of the record. These songs just feel like pure peaceful bliss. I also think that “I Am Free” was the perfect choice for the last song on this record. After giving the album a full listen, you truly feel like you go through a full-on journey of self discovery and acceptance while experiencing the feeling of being free and happy with who you are despite everything and it’s wonderfully portrayed in that song.
After giving the full listen, I started to really think about the title Terra Firma and its meaning of firm land and I can definitely see why Tash chose that title for this album. When you give this album a full listen, you go through so many different emotions but in a peaceful and comforting way to the point where you feel secure and firm in who you are at the end. The idea of being on firm land really makes sense and it’s representative of what I think Tash went through with writing and putting this record together. Almost like the idea of someone who is terrified of flying finally landing and experiencing that relief of being on solid ground. Now of course, I could be totally wrong, but that is just my take on it and it makes perfect sense when taking into account the collection of songs on this record. This album is the perfect selection for individuals in need of a self-love and self-discovery moment or who just want to ease their minds with some easy listening tunes. Hell, after this shit show of a year, we could all use a little self-reflection and peaceful tunes to get us through. If I were to recommend just a few songs from the record that really showcase a great example of the full thing, I would tell people to listen to “Greed,” “Maybe You’ve Changed,” “Willow Tree,” and “Let the Light In.”
Another remarkable thing about this record is that although it has deep meaning and the potential for self-reflection, it also isn’t so deep to where it feels heavy. Not once during my listening of these songs did it make me feel down or melancholy. It simply radiates peace and makes for the perfect soundtrack to almost anything. Before writing this, I gave the album a few listens which included me working, cleaning up around the house, driving, and even cooking while each time it made for the perfect soundtrack for those moments.
photo from Tash’s Instagram - @tashsultanaofficial
All in all, I am extremely impressed with this album from Tash Sultana and it has quickly become one of the records I turn to for just setting the mood for an easy and peaceful day no matter the tasks at hand. I predict that this will also end up being a great beach day listen once the weather starts to warm up so I am looking forward to filling my Summer days with the sounds of Terra Firma. This album also turned out to be such a wonderful example of all the talent Tash has to offer. It highlights their songwriting, guitar, and other instrument skills, while creating the perfect blend of psychedelic rock, reggae, and lo-fi sounds.
I am really looking forward to enjoying this album for years to come, as well as seeing what else Tash has to offer in the future. If I wasn’t a fan before, I certainty am now! I hope that once COVID-19 finally decides to make its exit, Tash will tour in the United States and I will absolutely purchase some tickets. I highly recommend you give this record a listen and allow yourself to really vibe with the sounds while enjoying some moments of self-reflection and peace.
