Germany / Spain / England - Full Moon 179 - 04/18/11

Tom Block
t0M 810(k + Tom B£o{k EPs
tom block

There's a lot going on in these two EPs, a surfeit of ideas all mashed together into intermittently thrilling lo-fi bedroom pop songs that display a lot of potential for this 19-year-old German/Spanish London dweller.

The first three songs on t0M 810(k are scattershot electro-pop spack-outs, short, sharp and very messy. They remind me of The Mighty Boosh or the little jingles that comedy duo Adam and Joe throw into their radio shows, which is both a good and a bad thing. The Mighty Boosh and Adam and Joe are mucking around; is Tom taking these songs seriously or having a laugh? Either way, these early songs go in one ear, rattle around like day-glo boiled sweets, then ping out the other. Another comparison I can think of is early Blur having a tantrum, aside from closer "Moments Wiv U", which hints at the more expansive, reflective direction on Tom B£o{k.

If the first EP is a hyperactive child, then the second EP is a moody teenager - just look at the song titles: "Can't Feel Myself", "Panic Attax", "Death" and "Nothing". Here the vibe is more The Cure than Blur and the arrangements are more spacious and measured than on the first EP, the songs stretching out to three or four minutes rather than two. It's still lo-fi and still sounds like demos for more fully realised songs, but it's a fun listen with some good sounds buried in the mix.

Overall, there's a definite something to Tom Block's songwriting that hints at interesting releases to come.

Copyright © 2011 Tim Clarke