aaamusic | On 26, Sep 2011

Tom Moriarty should have released an album years ago. His early musical career was certainly along the right path – after leaving the Musical Institute of LA, he managed to share stages with Crosby, Stills & Nash, as well as Lemmy and Guns & Roses (according to his press release) . However, due to financial needs and family devotion, the Cambridge and LSE graduate ended up dropping music to become a London City finance PR. But now Tom Moriarty has returned to his singer-songwriter roots, full-time, and with a debut album – ‘Fire In The Doll’s House’ – produced by Ian Grimble (who also aided Mumford & Sons, Travis, RCHP).

‘Life’s a Mystery’ is his new single – lifted from said debut album – and is certainly the best offering I’ve heard from the London-based songwriter. The song is a perfectly balanced slice of alt-rock – grittier and sexier than the other, more down-tempo tracks I’ve come across. A bluesy guitar riff introduces this country-tinged rock’n’roll track, before Tom Moriarty’s fine, fine, fine voice pipes up – gruff yet tuneful, harsh yet smooth, he boasts a singing voice that manages to growl soul (if that’s even possible, which it probably isn’t). The organ and backing gospel choir sound a tad cheap, but their displacement doesn’t diminish the glorious melody of the chorus.

The B-side ‘Where Are You Now’ is more along the lines of what I’d heard from Tom Moriarty prior to ‘Life’s A Mystery’ – an understated, pop-folk song with a decent melody and respectable acoustic finger-picking. It’s elegant, but nothing more than a Ben Harper throwaway.

Moriarty has been likened to Waits and Springsteen (almost certainly thanks to the work of his PRs), and although he doesn’t really sound like them, there is an apparent American singer-songwriter influence riding beneath his alt-folk. If his album holds the same quality as this A-side, then he could actually make a career out of this music malarkey. However, if this single turns out to be the singled out highlight, and the rest if akin to the B-side, then he should get a haircut, shine up, and mosey on back to the City.

 

Author: Clive Rozario