I recently attended a local gig, where I saw a fantastic and very promising band who have been tipped for big things. However I won’t be reviewing them simply because their page is already bombarded with review extracts saying very nice about them, I’m sure they’ll be fine.
One of the support acts really stood out that night. A shy looking young man sporting a hat, he looked like a young badly drawn boy… actually he didn’t. The only thing he had in common with Badly drawn Boy was the hat… and the harmonica. His actual appearance was lots nicer, and less like Badly Drawn boy who is in fact a rather unimpressive looking man. His name is Tom Williams, he is 19 years old.
The stage was lit up with Christmas lights which was lovely, and Tom kicked the set off with “You talk loudly” one of the tracks from his Myspace page. An ode to awful Monday mornings. (Something everyone can relate to) “The only thing that makes the rain on Monday morning any more bearable is that everyone else also feels like…” and on this family friendly website I think it’d be unwise to repeat the next word he used.
It’s a very listenable Dylanesque noise accompanied by a harmonica.
And while on this performance he didn’t have the dynamics and power of a full backing band (which I’ve since been told he’s recently acquired) it didn’t matter, every song he sang had its own little identity, something which is often difficult for acoustic song writers. Sometimes I find when listening to acoustic performances, it’s awkward, slow, plodding, with frequent obligated polite applauses and the constant clearing of that bloke behind you’s throat. Tom Williams I feel was completely the opposite. I let the experience sort of wash over me and I was captivated to his very honest lyrics.
He just sang about everyday life, as it is, without the sixth form poetry you’d expect. The music itself had a lovely very English melancholy, no faux American accent present nor did he conform to the current trend of pretending to be northern (a la Artic Monkeys) Just very simple, very honest NME friendly folk music. He’s unique in the fact he doesn’t try to distort reality with his music, he just shows you where he is, and takes you there.
On visiting his myspace he lists some pretty unremarkable bands as influences, but manages to sound nothing like them. I think his beautiful honesty is the strength in his compositions and I for one am really looking forward to his material with a full band.
www.myspace.com/williamstommusic