|
REVIEW:
A GREAT NEW RELEASE - A singer/songwriter e-pal
of mine, Tom Forsey, has recently put out one of the best
indie releases I've ever heard. Indeed, it deserves to
be ranked with the "big boys" in its production, its musicianship,
its songwriting, and in its sincerity. His latest CD, To
The Core, is a terrific slice of the Americana pie, with
a nod to the roots of the genre as well as an incorporation
of a distinctly modern outlook. Tom's straightforward,
bass-drums-guitar approach (with oh-so-spicy keyboard,
fiddle, mandolin, harmonica, and pedal steel touches) sure
enough makes for some good ol' rock and roll -- but good
ol' rock and roll with a brain and a heart.
There was a time when radio would have
been all OVER music as good as this -- but, alas, that time
is not now. But, luckily for all of us, it is still available
as a leap of faith -- and I urge anyone with an interest
in heartfelt, honest, and essential rock and roll music to
check it out. (See URLs below.)
I could go into details, like how "Beltway
Blues" puts me right out on the highway with all the other
frustrated losers and wage slaves, and how "Lucky To Be" caused
me to pull over and wipe away some tears one gray morning
last week. I could also mention the pop lilt of "Then I Knew" or
the classic rock drive of "Glad With You." But this recording
makes me consider it as a whole piece, not a collection of
diverse tunes. Not to say there isn't variety -- just to
say that it holds together, and believe me I know how hard
that is to accomplish.
Tom told me a while back that he believed
that this new release blows away his previous effort. And
I agree -- not that Another Chapter Down is by any means
a slack effort. It's just that To The Core is truly THAT
much better. In addition, Tom has assembled a gaggle of superb
musicians who clearly understand his music and his vision.
It all just works. If I had the space, I could go on and
on and on about how much (and why) I like Tom's new CD so
much.
I'm tickled to death for him and I've got
to believe that he'll be making some serious waves with this
effort. I HIGHLY recommend -- I practically INSIST -- that
you go to either www.tomforsey.com or www.t4crecords.com
and check this stuff out. This is the real thing! |
