Play 90 second soundbite of 'Like Rheticus' @ 'CD quality'
Tromans is not as moribundly downcast as Damien Rice, just as he's not as tritely commercial as James Blunt. But, somewhere between those two very successful singer/songwriters is where Owen Tromans has cast his musical net. Unlike Blunt, Tromans music won't come to you without you having to put some work in yourself - Tromans requires a few plays and a degree of self-heart-searching to enable his songs to play out their magic. Similarly, Tromans is generally lighter and more readily accessible than much of Rice's outpourings. So, d'ya get the picture? Owen Tromans is equally as evocative, equally image conjuring and similarly listenable as the two aforementioned. And, Tromans mixes it up pretty well here with dark ballads interspersed with brighter, more optimistic pieces. There's some superb instrumental passages and middle-eights that pop-up along the way that simply take yer breath away with their emotional dynamics and catchy refrains. With a clever use of light and shade, Tromans ensures that this album works for any mood and in most circumstances - sit and chill or just max it out and it carries the same feel-good factor.
As I listen to 'Place' is find I'm sinking further into Tromans' world; with his impressive writing and beautifully proportioned, simplistic instrumentation, Tromans gets inside of you. His distinctive voice and charmingly 'easy' delivery are big parts of his irrepressibity. Certainly, this is where I can see more of a similarity to Rice's work. But, Owen Tromans is not copying or plagiarising - he's very much his own man, with his own style and with his own stories to tell.
'Place' by Owen Tromans is an excellent album by any standards. It may not have instant appeal to everyone but there's a depth here that needs to be experienced and absorbed - give it time and a few plays and it'll come to you and you won't want to put it down! Really impressive stuff this; 'Place' is well worth a punt at and Owen Tromans could soon be climbing to new highs on the back of it!!
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