There can be a fine line between songs with a great hooks and an uplifting message and those that are "just too poppy". Terry Gonda walks that line with balance and poise. On her CD Love, Lose, Repeat (released on Valentine's Day) Terry is in fine voice serving up songs with heart and soul backed by an almost magical acoustical accompaniment. This is a very well produced CD with a strong, commercial sound - and that's a notable accomplishment for any indie artist. Terry's songwriting is solid as she spins lyrical adventures that run through love stories and songs of hope. Listening to her music stirs much the same feelings as hearing a weather forecast for a bright and sunny tomorrow though it be damp and dreary today. The positive nature of her music is best exemplified, perhaps, by "Love Calls You By Name" with the lyric: "May you do more than survive/The hurts of yesterday/May you see the blessings grow/Where destruction hoped to play/May you know that you are more/Than what happens along the way/May you always be aware/That Love is here to stay."

The arrangements lean from a country blues sound, to jazz to coffeehouse rock. Among the 13 tracks are covers of "Both Sides Now," "Home" (by Karloff Bonoff) and a medley of "When You Wish Upon a Star" with "Someone To Watch Over Me" which alone is worth the price of admission. In addition to writing and performing music that inspires, teaches and tickles the soul of the listener, Terry is an experienced presenter and lecturer who offers concert and workshop packages for adults, young adults and teens. A collection of secular and ecumenical themes are among her offerings.
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This is definitely a MUST HAVE CD! The lyrics will touch your heart and the music will caress your soul. From the haunting 'Lines on my finger' to the beauty of 'When you Wish...', the ballsy 'Snow Storm Blues' to the traditional 'If I Needed You'....there is something for everyone. Terry's command of all these musical genres will astound you, and leave you singing her songs hours later.
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To try to review "Love, Lose, Repeat" by Terry Gonda is a difficult thing to attempt in the few short lines available here. It is an expansive album in genre, mood, musicianship, and character, and it is pure pleasure from the first track to the last. 

I believe Terry Gonda has one of the finest voices I have heard in my eclectic musical collection. In a time where so many female singers voice their music as variations on a theme, her voice is singularly unique in its power, its depth, its range, and its versatility. Her voice is tonally beautiful and rich in expression; her soundscape compliments it in every way. Across the range of songs and styles on this album, you feel genuine emotion and soul in each lyric sung, and you find yourself skipping back at the end of tracks only to hear it again. 

The songs chosen for the album are wide ranging in style and substance, though none could be characterized as without depth. Some feel lighter but not without meaning; others are filled with a beauty that makes you feel you are living them. Other have commented on the richness of the cover of "When You Wish Upon a Star/ Someone to Watch Over Me," and it is noteworthy to say the least. It is also worth mentioning that she also chose to cover "Both Sides Now," a Joni Mitchell standard that many a lesser performer would be a bit afraid to try. Gonda brings a staggering level of emotion and tenderness to the song that (at the risk of sounding sacrilegious to other Joni Mitchell fans) moves me in ways more powerfully than the original. 

The song choices from other songwriters are perhaps less instantly recognizably but no less powerfully owned by Gonda. "If I Needed You" is brought to a wonderful life in a duet with great flavor and character. "Home Again" is one of the most beautiful expressions of love in song, and Gonda's voice carries it beautifully. Gonda's own songs, such as "Calls You," the exquisite "Jean," "Lines on My Finger," and "Busy" only make you wish for a double album which features more of her own pen. She is a studied songwriter, and her poetry in lyric is delightful and quick. From the hopefulness of "Calls You" to the heartbreak of "Lines," she writes with a distinct and singular power, and a classic folk song ability to pull you into the song in the first few lines. 

Thematically, the songs on the album are linked by different facets of love, different poetic expressions of the same word, the same idea. I can think of no better word to describe how a listener feels for this album after the last track plays.
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I have to admit that I'm not a great folk fan but this
album could convert me. Terry Gonda has a pure smoky
voice not too dissimilar to Eva Cassidy crossed with
Karen Carpenter. This is a wonderful mixture of torch
songs, blues and folk and the standout track on the
album has to be her cover of "When you wish upon a
star" segued into "Somone to Watch Over Me" - like
Somewhere over the Rainbow on the Songbird album, this
stands out as a beautiful and original cover. Other
favourites are If I Needed You and Lines on My Finger
- a truly heartbreaking song. 
Terry manages to fill each song with emotion - you can
hear when she's smiling as she sings and it makes this
album an emotional journey.

She's an undiscovered gem who deserves to be brought
into the public eye. I totally recommend this....
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