From the outset of this new EP from The Tom Gee band, the watchword is ‘quality’. It’s not often in this day and age that a full, 8 piece band will have the chance to work together, and for this – their fourth official release – it’s clear that the members of the group are appreciating their time together.
Creating a funky, jazz chord laden sound which relies heavily on and excellent rhythm section and expertly lays vocal, lyrics and melodies over the top, the EP stands apart by virtue of its largesse alone. With so many talented musicians clearly singing from the same hymn sheet in terms of their target sound, it makes for fun and upbeat listening – reaffirming my faith that quality roots music can still work on a larger scale.
Track highlights include ‘Shake’, which sets its stall out early with a very smooth intro giving way to an excellent funk verse. From here, the verse builds to a pre-chorus which then surprisingly gives way to a quieter, but no less compelling, chorus which closes with some effective full band stabs. Great stuff to be sure, but nothing compared to the lovely, suprising and contemplative middle 8 that hits out of nowhere. Sublime stuff.
On the flipside, ‘Listen To Yourself’ closes the EP with perhaps the most pop friendly tune of them all – a smooth jazzy number full of delightful little licks and melodic touches. And once again, those delicious stabs.
This is all the work of a confident group who are assured in their quality. All five songs have things to recommend them – the best advice is to just check them out and see what the fuss is about.
