Tommy Womack Live a Little
This has all the rousing, irrepressible rhythm of bands like Blue Rodeo, the late Scott Kempner (Del-Lords), the Jayhawks & the Bottle Rockets. Tommy Womack’s vocals are well-watered, rootsy & earthy. His opening tune, “Speed, Weed & Alcohol,” is captivating & not long enough. The follow-up is a warm ballad that brings a listener immediately down to earth with the sad & poignant “I Guess We’re At That Age.” Younger listeners may not get it, or care (now). But this is a mature tune that, with time, will apply to everyone. Especially when you start to see that final Exit sign from where you’re standing. Good songwriting. Tough subject.
Womack (acoustic & electric guitars/harmonica/mandolin/piano) knows how to turn a sad tune over & how to inject vigor into his alternate tunes. Great lead vocals are persistent – he can take up the space once occupied by the Americana version of the late Robert Hazard, Fred Neil, John Prine & Jackie Leven. “Waiting for the Punchline” is another folk-infused, charming tune. Pure rock n’ roll raises its head for “Ten Feet Tall.” It has that Johnny Bond (“X-15,” “Hot Rod Lincoln”) retro beat — always infectious. Crisp acoustic-oriented guitar — almost akin to the crazy guitar solo in Teddy Randazzo’s masterful blues tune “Let the Sunshine In” (not the song from the musical “Hair”). Wonderful piece.
Tommy’s an acclaimed Nashville-based indie-rock singer-songwriter with his latest, 11-track, 9th solo album Live a Little (Drops Dec 5/Schoolkids Records/38:34) produced by the redoubtable Eric “Roscoe” Ambel (electric guitar/keys/bgv). The songs are all from the perspective of an older, wiser artist. Tommy even sings a song about one of my old New Jersey haunts – “Hoboken.” Nice story-ballad about the few “lost blocks” of Greenwich Village that were never delivered downtown.
The showcase is filled with humor but also some heavy-duty themes – “Just Another Shooting” is a powerful statement. Damn good assessment of a vicious circle with a genteel coda of voices. Tommy has folk songs, but never veers into campy territory or takes to the musical lecture circuit. He never forgets to rock because some songs have lots of torque.
Recorded at 2 Brooklyn, NY locations & Nashville, TN. This is a damn good album. A keeper.
Highlights – “Speed, Weed & Alcohol,” “I Guess We’re At That Age,” “Waiting For the Punchline,” “Ten Feet Tall,” “Hoboken,” “Just Another Shooting,” “If I Could, I’d Pay Your Pain To Go Away,” & “Funeral Girl.”
Musicians – Jeremy Chatzky (acoustic & electric bass), Kenny Soule (drums/percussion), Mario Vieli (wah-guitar), Peter Gordon (piano) & Lisa Oliver-Gray (vocals/bgv).
CD cover image courtesy of Scott Willis. CD @ Amazon & Apple + https://tommywomack.com/
Enjoy our previous coverage here: REVIEW: Tommy Womack “I Thought I Was Fine”
