UK composer and musician Tommy LOOSE has been around the block a few times, earning his money as a music teacher, with a past and presumably present in various bands as well as having a solo career going. “(I’m Gonna) Tell God Everything ” is his third solo album, and was self-released in the spring of 2017.

One fact that becomes clear fairly shortly into this album is that Tommy is a more than decent guitarist. He has the technical ability to provide us with some really flowing motions as his finger wander around the acoustic guitar, which is his main instrument on this album, and he has a good ear for that good, old fashioned feel as well. Be it softer, gentler and melancholic landscapes or harder edged and firmer motifs, he certainly has a skill set as a musician that no mere newcomer can provide.

As a songsmith and as a singer I’d say this is an artist still in development though. Not all the songs sit as well as the others, and as a vocalist Tommy’s voice isn’t quite at the level where it will truly carry a tune, and when dabbling in the classic art of the acoustic guitar and vocalist that is needed to be able to make an impact, at least beyond the crowd that are ardent fans of this type of music. A token violin and piano presence doesn’t weigh up for that, even if their presence is a nice little bonus feature.

At the very end of this short album Tommy leaves the singer/songwriter universe behind for a bit, and kicks off with a nifty radio-friendly style rocker instead. A bit rough around the edges, and again with the vocals being a bit too much on the passable side, but an effective manner to conclude this production on a rather different note it is.

I can’t really see this album making much headway beyond a regular singer/songwriter crowd, but those who tend to enjoy music of this kind, are able to appreciate the skills of a quality musician and also respect an artist that appears to be honest and straight forward – no truly obvious studio overdubs are found here perhaps apart from the rocker at the end – should find this album to be a rather charming production.

 

My rating: 65/100

Track list:
Talkin’ the Walk , Nest, New Book Smell, Together Alone, Ruby Blue, So Do I, She Knows My Name, Change You