Illusions makes me tense.  Rather than relaxing to the sounds of a simple guitar, I find myself on edge, waiting for a theme to develop into something compelling.  Each song inflicts dutiful repetition, at around 80 beats per minute, with some reverb.

Local Reviews: Terry Lynn Tschaekofske

By
April 16, 2013

Local Music Reviews

Terry Lynn Tschaekofske
Illusions
Self-Released
Street: 06.09
Terry Lynn Tschaekofske = Michael Hedges + guitar lessons
Illusions makes me tense.  Rather than relaxing to the sounds of a simple guitar, I find myself on edge, waiting for a theme to develop into something compelling.  Each song inflicts dutiful repetition, at around 80 beats per minute, with some reverb.  His precision and unorthodox chord choices are proof that Tschaekofske is a great guitarist, but the first 22 seconds of “Game Face (Now is the Time),” where he finally removes his metronomic shackles and freestyles a bit, should serve as the inspiration for his future recordings.  The remaining 59 minutes are just too homogeneous.  However, I like Tschaekofske’s new-age guitar teacher vibe, so I’ve decided to suggest some possibly lucrative options:  Investigate those panels at Walmart where a person can press a button with a picture of a waterfall or a secluded cottage to hear music inspired by such inspiring imagery.  Or, Illusions could be the background music for Bejeweled.