Turk Tresize - If It Is To Be

Turk Tresize

If It Is To Be
Dairy Shed Records; 2015

3.9 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

If you looking for a no frills, straightforward rock album I don’t think you can go wrong with If It Is To Be by Turk Tresize. Even more to the point if you have a hankering for rock music made before the ‘80s this will really be up your alley. Throughout the fifteen-songs on If It Is to Be you can hear traces of bands like CCR, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Bruce Springsteen. Some songs are more blues based while others feel that could have come over from the British Invasion. The ironic fact in all this is that Turk Tresize is an Australian based artist who sounds similar to English and American bands.

If It Is to Be is a good listen for a number of reasons. First off the songs are well written and diverse. Amongst the fifteen I did have some favorites but I also didn’t feel like there were any duds. On top of that I enjoyed Tresize’s vocals. Tresize has an emotionally resonant voice that at times sounds a bit like Rod Stewart. The last element that makes If It Is to Be work is the production. The album was recorded at the Bomb Shelter studio in Nashville directly to tape, which gives it that old time feel that a lot of records from the ‘70s had.

One thing I will say about If It Is To Be is that it could have very well been a double album. At fifteen songs with no filler you get your money’s worth. That being said this album took a couple of different sessions to embrace all of the material.

The album doesn’t waste any time but gets started with “Cold Honey.” It’s a solid, catchy song that jumps into the verse with vocals right away. The song is relatively short and gets your attention. Great choice for an opener. “Cold Honey” is an anthemic song that feels like a sing-along waiting to happen. You can say the same about songs like “Just You” and “Whole Lotta Crazy.” Tresize really knows how to make the chorus pop.

The first slight deviation come with “Shanurkski” which is an old swampy blues based number that veers away from an explosive chorus. “101” is a slower song that you could classify as a ballad while “Gravy Train” leads the charge with an acoustic guitar. Does Tresize not sound like Rod Stewart on this song?I’m not going to give it all away but there were some nice, slight surprises as the album progresses.

Overall, If It Is To Be is a solid throwback to some of rock’s legends while still establishing Tresize as a force all his own. Recommended.

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