A gorgeous meshing of rock and dream-pop, “Terra Firma” is a thorough success from Pique, a duo from Denton, Texas. Their second single enamors, venturing from mellow vocal entrancement — “someone said tell me what’s changed, where have you been?” — into a gripping blast of vocal ardency and clanging guitars. “You know a head in the clouds must come down to terra firma,” the gorgeous vocals let out, reminding fondly of Alvvays and Wolf Alice in the dynamic presentation of anthemic rock and dreamy introspection.
The involved layering traverses into a more spacious turn in the final minute, as gentle guitar twangs find gradual accompaniment in hazy vocals and subtle rhythmic intensifying. The title-referencing hook re-emerges for a final go-around, putting a bow on this strongly memorable output from Pique.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of December 2023’ Spotify playlist.
The track is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Emerging Dream-Pop.
