[rating=3.50]
With impassionate lyrics, simple guitar compositions and his unusually high voice Santa Monica singer/songwriter Tom Brosseau has built a loyal following primarily centered on a solo acoustic format that is akin to Woody Guthrie. While he has broke free from his format on his previous recordings, Grand Forks, Brosseau changes tempo just enough to almost be categorized as folk rock yet still retains his organic roots.
Grand Forks may very well be Tom Brosseau’s most ambitious effort to date. Picking up where he left off with “West of Town” from What I Mean to Say Is Goodbye, the record is dedicated to the 1997 flood that destroyed much of his North Dakota hometown. With the gentle brushing of a high hat and snare drum, the album opens with the alt.country “I Fly Wherever I Go,” featuring some twangy guitar riffs. The recollections continue when Brosseau teams up with legendary punk pioneer John Doe and Grammy Award winning classical violinist Hilary Hahn on the tender ballad “Fork in the Road”. Hahn makes an equally strong second appearance on “Blue Part of the Windshield,” adding profundity to the acoustic composition. A bouncy Tom Waits vibe manifests on “Down on Skidrow” and he returns to his solo acoustic design on the final two tracks, “Dark and Shiny Gun” and “97 Flood”.
Produced by Gregory Page and John Doe, this record demonstrates Tom Brosseau’s versatility as he welcomes several guest musicians to create a full bodied and diverse compilation of songs.
For more info see: http://www.tombrosseau.com/
