We Have Sound

I became exposed to Tom Vek at a concert where I had no expectations. I was blown away by their sound, a mix of punk and funk. It is a simple album that is great to listen to. The first track, CC '(You set the fire in me)' is sure to pull you in with its pleasing beat which I could not get out of my head long after I saw them perform. Their sound has been done before but they manage to sound new. You'll enjoy it!

I can remeber the first time i heard tom vek was at a friend's party a few months ago...i was just amazed. Someone had put it on the turn table and woah...it really blew me away.

I guess tom sounds like something distinctly retro, i duno, eighties meets sixties in a roundabout sort of way, but there's also a modern feel to his stuff...i really caa't explain it. But if you're into LCD Soundsystem, Daft Punk, The Kills, Ladytron and/or the Strokes i think you'll get what i mean.

The stand out track on this album? Well, for me it's gotta be Nothing But Green Lights. That song just hits me everytime i hear it. The into's amazing...tom seems to make these sounds and then add a beat and synths and POW! You're left feeling the immediate need to dance in a odd indie-i-can't-really-dance-but-i'm-gona-try-way. And hey, that's always fun.

Yeah, i think that's the big thing with tom vek...its indie you can dance to but not in the lame, 'anthem in the indie disco' sense. Tom Vek's just got a way with beats that may not be all that original, but somehow he seems to just take over and make sense.

I also really like Tom Vek's vocal style. He doesn't seem to really try to sing or convince you of his vocal talents. Plus you can tells he's Londoner which i like. (For modern frontmen with interesting vocal talents see a band called Art Brut.(artbrut.org.uk) They're also one of my fav acts 2005. Check out their songs Modern Art and We Formed A Band. Oh and you may have heard about this band via certain rivalries/fights with Kele form Bloc Party-ignore that though, they worth a listen dispite the hype)

The actual songs then:

C-C (You Set the Fire in Me) is an incredible opening track. Dead simple but effective. I Ain't Saying My Goodbyes is also a real stand out track - quite up-tempo and upbeat.That Can be Arranged & The Lower the Sun are good mellow tracks also, in keeping with the overall style of the album but they're kinda simplier in a real laidback kinda way.

I think one of the remarkable things about this album is how I personally don't dislike any of the tracks. That's quite a tricky thing to acutally find in an album, cos even with my all-time fav albums I tend to find a coupla tracks just don't do it for me & the 'skip' button becomes most useful. Yet with We Have Sound I haven't felt that at all. All the songs on here fit really well but not in a repeatitive dull sense.

So yeah, you've got it all here - faster tracks, mellow tracks, general quality though. I'm still not bored of this album and I've had it for ages. I'd certainly reccomend buying it on 12" though if you can - it just sounds better and it seems quite fitting really. And check out his website -tomvek.tv- it's got some good videos and MP3s.

**Enjoy**

I have to give this 5 stars cause it's good start to finish. A consummate "album." Cutting-edge yet somehow reminiscent of a lot of different genres. Drums are the best part -- those tumbling kind a la the Go Team but a little more varied. I hear, surprisingly enough, some Talking Heads. Some Soul Coughing. But it's more up to date than those guys, so don't let that throw you off. Very listenable. Sparse, but thick. That raw feel, but in layers. Not too complicated in a good way. Repetition is very catchy. Every song sounds original, even within the album. Good purchase.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 9 reviews  4.2 out of 5 stars