I ride my bike to work, at least on days that it isn’t raining. The nice thing about this is that I leave the house along with my iPod and for the next 10-15 minutes I have a pretty good soundtrack to the beginning of my day. I ride an old bike, a beach cruiser as my friends call it, and even though I’m nowhere near a beach, I relish in the fact that I can take my time on my bicycle with one gear and foot brakes.

About two weeks ago I received an e-mail from a guy asking if I would mind listening to his music, and that he was willing to send me some CD’s. I get a couple of these requests a week, and for the most part I turn them down, not because I’m not interested, but I’m afraid I won’t have the time to give them the proper attention that they deserve.

I decided to take Andy (aka Tom Thumb) up on his offer, and my bike rides haven’t been the same since. Tom Thumb is a musician based out of Rhode Island who recorded his most recent album, Kindermusik at a church in Maine. A year earlier Tom Thumb released Songs From Holiday, a solo effort. Preach, the opener from the Kindermusik release starts off slow and builds steadily, as Tom sings, “Your life is a puddle of your former dreams, times do change.” Gracie’s Miine discusses a longing for lost love, or something still to be desired. Finally, the album ends with a haunting, yet beautiful cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Atlantic City. I’ve always loved this song, and I confess that I think that Tom Thumb nailed the song. The keys sound great and do the song and the boss proud.

…Songs From Holiday starts off with a refreshing guitar piece accompanied by Tom’s signature voice that bears similarities to Tom York or even Jeff Tweedy, but at the same time stands alone enough not to sound like a knock off. The second song, “Motel In Phoenix” describes a motel that the singer has never been to, but at the same time knows exactly what is going on there. The standout track on the album is the great “Wine and Cigarettes”, which combines handclaps, insightful lyrics, and warm harmonies.

I’m not sure how familiar Tom Thumb’s music is outside of a small blogging circle, but I’m certain that if he continues the path he’s currently on, he’ll garner a lot of attention in the future. You can purchase his CD’s for incredibly low prices ($6 or $10) from his website. Until your CD’s arrive, here’s a few MP3’s to tide you over.

Preach

Growing Boy

Atlantic City (Bruce Springsteen cover)

For other reviews of Tom Thumb’s music, check out Said The Gramaphone and The Acoustic Wetlands

Thanks for the discs Tom and I hope you get a chance to play in Madison someday soon.