The Edmonton Journal
October 20, 2001
By Sandra Sperounes
CD:The Interzone Mantras
Artist:The Tea Party
Label:EMI
Rating:*** 1/2
Review: Can it really be? A "stripped down" Tea Party disc? Yes, Virginia, Jeff "Santa" Martin and his elves have decided to get back to their rock n' roll roots and cut out many of the exotic instruments and 72 sonic layers prevalent on Triptych, the Windsor group's last disc. Even without the excess, Martin, drummer Jeff Burrows and bassist Stu chatwood haven't lost their knack for bombastic rock anthems - check out The Interzone, Cathartik, and Angels for proof - but the trio now seem to be coming to terms with the fine art of subtlety. Apathy features samba-like drums and Martin's hushed growls while Apathy, a string-laden tune about sexual abuse survivors, is understated but never shmaltzy.