A power-pop true-believer keeps plugging away
Tommy Keene might have more aptly titled his latest release “One Man’s Parade,†as he’s not so much following in anyone’s footsteps as he’s resolutely sticking to his own path. Those who first latched onto Keene through college radio play of his superb 1984 EP Places That Are Gone may be wondering where he’d gone, but long after the EP’s incandescent closing cover of Alex Chilton’s “Hey! Little Child†faded, Keene was still making records. Good records. Good records filled with sweet melodies, chiming guitars and punchy rock ‘n’ roll rhythms. In earlier years Keene worked with Richard X. Heyman, a fellow traveler in the under-appreciated-multi-instrumentalist-rock-singer-songwriter camp, and they’ve each released a new album this year.
Keene’s indie efforts, first for his own label, and then for Dolphin, sparked a contract with Geffen that produced a pair of albums and another EP. There’s great material on each, but without a commercial breakthrough, he returned to the indie world and became a sought-after guitar sideman. His albums – this is the fifth since 2000 – have drawn critical notice, but mostly remained the province of pop fanatics. Keene handles the guitars, keyboards and half the bass playing, with Rob Brill (drums) and Brad Quinn (bass) filling out the band. His sound is largely unchanged from earlier years – thick electric guitars and a rhythm section that surrounds the vocals with sound.
Without a lyric sheet, the setting of the vocals into the instrumentals leaves many of the verses difficult to decipher. The hook lines come through clearly, and Keene’s melodies communicate a lot of emotion, but listeners may be left with the feeling there’s more there than easily meets the ear. There are threads of fatalism and hints of ennui throughout, both in the titles (“Nowhere Dragâ€) and tone. Keene’s guitar playing is superb, offering beefy rhythm lines and atmospheric solos that drift along with the songs’ often deliberate tempos. This is recommended if you like Velvet Crush, Matthew Sweet, Sloan, Teenage Fanclub and all those who live on the power-side of power-pop. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com] 