Tommy Henriksen’s self-titled album, while diverse in content, is pure pop. With Tibetan Monks chanting in the background, ingredients like world beat music and bagpipes certainly make for a curious coupling.
The first single, “I See The Sun”, features a shimmering chorus. “One Voice” is a startling contrast with a country beat that promenades alone nicely while mixed with synth drums and a fiddle. You quickly realize that Henriksen’s interest is in creating songs that have flavor and life independent of the rest of the album.
Although the album showcases a handful of good songs, none are as memorable as “Tell Me Why”. The clean, saccharine sweet chorus and guitar/synth mix is a near perfect alliance. Nina Hagen’s chanting on “Beyond Life” is mixed in with beat boxing that gives dimension to the song. “Dreaming In Colors” is another great Henriksen concoction.
Henriksen likes to layer his vocals at two pitches during his choruses: one that is high and one that is eerie, deep, and breathy. The dual pitches sound good for a song or two, but wear you down midway through the album. However, Tommy Henriksen’s music is in a category all its own. Instead of taking the path of either Peter Gabriel or Psychedelic Furs, he instead melded them together into a unique musical styling. His debut is a strong foundation for a bright future.
+ rae gun
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