Roots Rock Shines on New Turk Tresize CD

Turk Tresize CD cover If It Is To BeRock is a broad term that has come to mean different things over the years. Today’s mainstream rock sounds little like the music considered to be rock music 50 years ago. That’s one reason roots rock fans are likely to be excited by Turk Tresize’s new release, “If It Is To Be,” which was released last month. Tresize’s sound is roots rock with definite influence from classic rock.

The “If It Is To Be” CD is a release of Dairy Shed Records and it is distributed by Consonant Music and The Orchard.

Australian-born Tresize gained a lot of praise for his debut CD, “Soul Casino.” In that first release, Tresize created his own sound while telling his life stories. He continues telling his personal stories with  the “If It is To Be” CD. A good example of that is “Sweet Monica,” a song that serves as a tribute to his mother who passed away from Multiple Sclerosis with Tresize by her side. The title of the CD is also a tribute his mother as her motto was, “If it is to be, it is up to me.” As he grew up, Tresize heard that motto on numerous occasions.

Tresize still lives in Australia and part of “If It Is To Be” was recorded there, while studios in Nashville and Los Angeles were also used for the making of the CD. The CD also features some top studio musicians that have been played for country artists like Jamey Johnson and Randy Houser.

Despite the Nashville influences on the CD, “If It Is To Be” doesn’t sound like a country record. It’s very much a roots rock CD. Like some of the great rock songs throughout history, the tracks on this CD have a raw and unique sound. The instrumentation on this CD is superb. That’s a credit to both Tresize and the quality musicians that also contributed to the CD. Together, they create a sound that is original that is sure to catch the interest of most people that listen.

A good example of this is “Cold Honey,” the up-tempo song that is the first track on the CD.  Other uptempo offerings on “If It Is To Be” include “Just You” and “Whole Lotta Crazy,” which are the second and third tracks on the CD, respectively.

While those are great songs, I personally enjoyed the slower songs on the CD more. Songs like “Gravy Train” and “Flight Plan” have strong melodies and demonstrate Tresize’s vocal ability.

No matter whether you prefer fast or slow rock songs, you are likely to find something on “If It Is To Be” that you like. Tresize is scheduled to play two shows in West Hollywood, California later this month (July), before returning to Australia, according to his website.

More information can be found at www.turktresize.com.

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