Through various recent posts, I’ve been introducing you to River Tiber, a new band out of Toronto led by 21 year old multi-instrumentalist Tommy Paxton-Beesley. I just adore the rocking “Someday”, which ranks #11 on my personal chart. River Tiber’s debut album From Now On is a layered affair awash in many influences.
I’ve already alluded to Jeff Buckley-esque sounds on “Someday”. Whether it’s intentional or not, they pervade the album for me. I grew into Jeff’s classic Grace album in the same way that From Now On has got under my skin. Irrespective of similar talents, I suppose the comparison for me is the emotion inside the music. Tommy is so in-the-moment in songs like “Symmetry” (the refrain gives me shivers!), “Everything That Happened”, and “These Are Centuries” that it’s hard not to be captivated. There are bursts of rock ‘n roll and outstanding patches of silence which given the album its poignancy. In “February”, you can feel literally feel the snow, and in “On and On” you stick with the coda till the very end just like “A Day In The Life” by The Beatles. Just when you get comfortable with the laid back feel of the record, it nudges you and gets inside your head.
I can pinpoint other comparisons, and I really don’t know if they are valid. But I hear U2, Coldplay, Nick Drake, French/Quebec folk (perhaps along the same lines of someone like Rufus Wainwright), along with classical and jazz influences. From Now On is a self-made effort that deserves attention of the music industry. Tommy has just released a free download of an EP called Massachusetts – download it right here – which is more acoustic, and I hope to have comments on in the near future. For now, my ears are all on From Now On and its dreamy, thoughtful, and well-played landscapes. Get it on iTunes. There is also an EP of remixes from the album that you can get for free right here.
To whet your appetite, once again here are the videos for “Someday” and “Symmetry” 🙂
“Someday”
“Symmetry”
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