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Album Details

• Artist: Tom Maxwell
• Album: Somebody
• Label: Tom Maxwell Music
• Year of Release: 2012
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: gwhill on 2012-12-26

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This is quite a strong release. In fact, it would be pretty difficult to find anything to fault here. The music is potent and all the performances are strong. The blend of musical styles presented is classic and yet fresh. It never seems redundant or slows down. This will likely find its way into some “best of 2012” lists, as it has found its way into mine.

The variety is established right at the start. The opening number “I’m Ready Now” has a folk rock meets singer songwriter and country feeling, rather like the John Mellencamp merged with Elvis Costello with slide guitar solos. Then the sound shifts on the very next track, “You Got Me Good,” moving into soulful alternative rock that still has some of that folk sound in place. There are even some hints of jazz in the arrangement. Old time rock and roll is brought to the table at times on “Baby, I Will.”

There’s a Latin beat on “Up in the Air” and it has some jam band music that calls to mind The Grateful Dead. Balladic blues with some country is served up on “Just Plain Bad.” Rockabilly blends with old time rock and roll on “Don’t You Know.” “I Gotta Know” has a great blending of jazz and blues. And, “Three” is sort of acoustic jazz. The remaining tracks on the set combine various groupings of the sounds heard on these tracks to create their musical motif.

Maxwell is a master at his craft and this album is surely proof of that fact. It has a great flow and serves up plenty of variety and contrast. Yet, nothing is weak by any means. In addition, this is the kind of music that should appeal to a wide range of listeners.

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