Tom Adams is a folk singer songwriter based in the small Cornish town of Falmouth. He released his first album Silence in 2017 but its through his fourth and latest that he’s hit our radar. It’s called Beside The Analogue Sea.
By Graeme Smith
Feature photo by Ocean Temple Records
Tom’s music has garnered praise from tastemakers both sides of the Atlantic. BBC Radio 6 Music’s Mary Anne Hobbs called his music “beautiful” while NPR’s Bob Boilen described it as “a quiet record for these harrowing times”. Add to that favourable write ups from Clash and Metro and you’re left with an exciting prospect.
Beside The Analogue Sea was recorded in Cornwall and the place comes alive through its seven tracks, right from the lapping waves in the intro to The Turning of The Year to the calling seagulls of If My Love Was A Guitar. We too get a sense of Tom’s life and inner workings, beautifully articulated through his descriptive lyrics.
It’s perhaps Tom’s voice that has brought him most to the attention of the music media and with a lot of justification. He displays such a range with ease on this record, and his delivery is so pleasant it’s spellbinding. That’s not to say that the record is entirely unchallenging. There’s a decent amount of innovation too. A Flower, Disappearing brings an undercurrent of uneasy soft rock and electronic elements with it.
If My Love Was A Guitar is a moment of romantic whimsy that follows it. Paramour provides some contrast. Moody and contemplative, it has a relatable rawness to it that’s emphasised by emotive strings and harmonies. The Spinning pushes boundaries even further. At just under eight minutes long, it’s a track that unfolds gradually with a hell of a story to tell through both its lyrics and instrumental arrangement.
The album is rounded off by Morning Grey and Postcards From the Road. In the former, the low, bass-driven instrumentals nicely complement Tom’s light vocals and descriptive lyrics. There’s a touch of Thom Yorke about it. The latter provides the counterfoil to the album’s theme of home – emphasising the concept through feeling its absence. Tom opts for a raw acoustic guitar arrangement which brings the story of the lyrics to the fore.
If you’re already a fan of Tom’s music, then this album will not disappoint. If you’re coming new to it like we are, then you’re in for a treat. Tom has to be one of the most original prospects in the British folk scene right now and this album cements that position. You can give Beside The Analogue Sea a listen below.
