The Tomicks

The Tomicks

Independent release, 2018

http://www.thetomicks.com

REVIEW BY: Tom Haugen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 05/04/2018

London's The Tomicks came together over their mutual adoration of pop sounds from the '60s and '70s, after, fittingly, vocalist/drummer Tom Cridland met pianist Nick Whitehead at an Elton John show. Toss Cridland's girlfriend/vocalist Debs Marx into the mix and you have the trio that is The Tomicks.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

“I'm Good For It” starts the 10 song album with a fun, upbeat piano and guitar rocker that takes contributions on guitar and percussion from Kenji Suzuki (of Simply Red fame). “Candlelight” extends on the opener with hammond organ and a sunny, '80s pop vibe that brings to mind rollerskating and FM radio, before scaling back the tempo with the softer, yet full “Classic Line,” where strings come in for an orchestral backdrop that adds greatly to the atmosphere.

“Hit Or Miss” is the first we hear Debs Marx's sweet, high pitched vocals, and it's backed by the rest of the band on a surf-rock inspired duet with heavy tambourine and plenty of '60s vibes. Though the piano is present on most tunes here, its greatest presence is the rich, soulful “Hair Clip,” where Cridland's pipes are on full display. The band then gets even more diverse with saxophones on the jazz influenced swagger of “Break Up The Anthem,” before moving into breezy pop-rock and playful strings à la Fleetwood Mac on “You're My Man.”

The album finishes out with the calm keys, emotional delivery and almost bluesy atmosphere of “Closing Time,” the big chorus of “Big Mistake” (which parallels the work of Billy Joel in the '80s), and the multifaceted rock of “I'm Gonna Quit,” which gets even closer to blues.

Fans of The Beatles, The Beach Boys, or Eric Clapton in the softer moments, The Tomicks will satiate the appetite of any diehard rock 'n' roll fan. The trio has pledged to 'Make Rock 'N’ 'Roll Great Again,' and this first LP is a huge step in the right direction.

Rating: B+

User Rating: Not Yet Rated


Comments

 








© 2018 Tom Haugen and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Independent release, and is used for informational purposes only.