Ted Hajnasiewicz - Tadeusz

​Ted Hajnasiewicz

Tadeusz
self-released; 2025

​​​By ​Dino DiMuro​​
​

Ted Hajnasiewicz is a folky singer-songwriter-rocker from Minneapolis who's just released what he calls a "Double EP" titled Tadeusz, which also happens to be his birth name. Ted does it all, from solo performing to rocking with his band Hebba Jebba or with his partner Doyle Turner in the International Treasures. He also notes: "I like short walks on the beach - long walks are too long."

Hajnasiewicz describes this album as "me realizing who I am, (both) as a creative person and a human being, and 'trying' to focus less on 'performance' (streams, likes, sales, etc.). Art forward, heart forward. This album spans rock and roll, folk/singer-songwriter, maybe a little country when country wasn't cool? It's all the sounds I grew up on, rolled into one collection." I did intially peg Hajnasiewicz as a folkie from the John Prine school (with some of the humor of Loudon Wainwright) but you'll get whiplash if you try figuring out all his genres.

As stated, this album is made up of two distinct parts, with the first half recorded at Wildhurst Studio in Wavonia, MN, and the second at HebbaJebba in Watertown. The respective producers are Gary Spencer and Dave Mehling, with Spencer mastering the full collection.

Following Hajnasiewicz's lead, let's start with the first half of the album which he calls "Tadeusz." We begin with the quietly acoustic "Forgotten Melodies" which is shortly filled out with nicely recorded electric slide guitar, bass and piano (all Ted). Hajnasiewicz has a pleasant, earnest voice, where even his vocal tone disarms your defenses and opens your heart. The drums are digital, but as usual nowadays, you absolutely can't tell. “Love Song for Dusty” was co-written with Hajnasiewicz's partner Doyle Turner and immediately kicks into rock-Americana mode a la Tom Petty, and features Chris Rose on additional guitars and producer Gary Spencer on drums. It's a whooping good time in a neck-snapping two minutes and change!

"Easy to Love" continues the rock feel, keeping his pickup band and adding Steve Peffer on Hammond B3. The main riff owes a bit to Lennon's "I've Got A Feeling" (and why not?) but of course Ted makes this sweet, amiable love song all his own (he truly DOES got a feeling!). Nice twangy lead guitars here too. "There's a Price for Everything" starts as a rock dirge but quickly pretties up, with just Hajnasiewicz and Peffer covering all bases. Again, you'd never know it wasn't a full band in the studio. Hajnasiewicz delivers an impassioned story-song about "the man who lost the world... (he) realized there's a price for everything." 

"I Wanna Marry You" starts the "Teddy" portion of our show with a jangly upbeat rocker about wanting to marry someone! Hajnasiewicz does it all yet again, with classy assist from saxophone player Ronny Loew. We already know this song has a happy ending with the line: "Twenty years later you're still my dream / Even if my engine's running out of steam." Continuing in the pop vein, 

"Star Gazer" has a sound close to "So You Wanna Be A Rock and Roll Star" (go figure!) or The Monkees. This track really warms my retro heart! "Don't worry if it sounds like shit / it'll be a Hit once we learn to play." LOL! 

"The Last Time" is a notably acoustic track from the White Album school, with this stunning opening verse: "The last time that I cried was the day I was born." Hajnasiewicz shares the playing with producer Dave Mehling, and there's something spooky and magical about this track. "The Most Interesting Man in the World" harkens back to those beer commercials with that suave gray-haired guy, but the lyrics paint a picture of a more quirky, possibly dangerous fellow: "He'll turn night into day til you can't keep track of your mind." Hajnasiewicz again pairs with Mehling plus Peffer's keys for a rousing pop-rock sendoff. 

While not strictly retro, there's enough old sounds here to please the ancient among us, while being good enough to stand on its own in any era. Great songs!

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