Tom Hedrick – Yimmer
It’s 2015 and Tom Hedrick has yet another high quality release to unleash upon the masses! When I get on my musical dose of Tom Hedrick I expect silly and fun, upbeat playing and tight music… but when I heard that Tom’s newest album sounds a bit like Zappa, you know I had to jam Yimmer.
Rightly so, the album begins with Anything Is Possible, a classic Hedrick song that draws in the unexpecting listener with it’s polished sound and Tom’s goofy teenage voice. At this point, with Tom, anything is really possible.. but the joke is only beginning with Embrace The Suck! From here on out Tom’s brilliant but simple satirical lyrics continue to be layered over his highly perfected dosage of shiny teenage rock. Embrace The Suck! takes a critical look at the modern world of music, those “100 likes” and “mp3 submissions” that seems to be every bands only goal. “And nobody cares about their fricken band” Tom shouts, in between some quite Zappaesque bridges of free guitars.
Aside from the wealth of satirical lyrics at the whim of Hedricks mind, what really is most Zappaesque about Tom Hedrick’s newest album is how naturally Tom blends musically styles. Within one song, I hear rock solos, Jazzy riffs and acoustic folk rhythms.
Three tracks in My Brother Said is probably my favorite song of the album and seems to be a more serious take with some beautifully layered guitars. The following song I Never Knew (I’d Be The Man) is a hilarious confessional song… How Tom can keep up the hilarious and whispy voice throughout the album is an accomplishment on it’s own.
The album continues in this vein, solid guitar playing, brilliantly polished backing music, Tom’s whispy character voice, satirical lyrics intertwined with a little bit of confessional songwriter. Quality music from the underground as usual. Rock is alive and well. It’s fun, it’s interesting, it’s self aware. Don’t let some ‘writer’ or ‘producer’ tell you what music looks like today. It looks like this – Tom Hedrick’s Yimmer. Get it from the man on CdBaby. https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tomhedrick5
*Choice Cuts* (3) My Brother Said (11) The Gay Baker (16) Walking With Stitch
- Jared Estes
Tongue & Groove Records WA 