The fact that "indie" is short for independent is somewhat ironic. While there is a great deal of originality in the genre, there can also be a remarkable amount of copycats and sound-alikes. That said, while new band Terra Terra Terra does bear definite similarities to current indie heavyweights such as Copeland, they can't be written off completely as imitators. They certainly deserve some sort of notice for having one of the more awkward band names I've seen.

Musically, Terra Terra Terra's debut album Mind Like a Man, Soul Like a Child is occasionally a tad harder than the band's other genre mates. Nevertheless, there is a great deal of slow, introspective works with plenty of keys and echoing vocals. The first track, "Prologue," is not a song but is actually the voice of presumably the singer explaining the band's view of itself as a Christian band. "Paradigm" kicks off the music with some sensible guitar work and a nice foundation. Unfortunately, this causes a problem that occurs throughout the rest of the album. The vocals are soft and dreamy perhaps to the point of excess, and as such tend to get lost in the instrumentation. This is unfortunate, because vocalist Loren Taylor has a great voice, especially as heard in "Only the Penitent Man Shall Pass" and "Wrong This Right." It just rarely gets the attention it deserves. Furthermore, the melodies are often unremarkable and fail to catch the listener's attention. Perhaps with better songwriting, the vocal strength of the band could be better displayed and mated with their obvious instrumental talent. As it is, the entire album lacks variety or very many high points, instead tending to run together as you near the end.

Terra Terra Terra has potential, but much of it is left unfulfilled on this release. As a result, Mind Like a Man, Soul Like a Child is a mostly uninteresting album that is only appropriate for dedicated indie music fans. I can see it being a nice background soundtrack for relaxing when you don't want to pay much attention, but that's about it.

- Review date: 8/10/09, written by Timothy Estabrooks of Jesusfreakhideout.com