tom harrison - electric postcards

Tom Harrison

Electric Postcards
self-relesed; 2013

3.5 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

Tom Harrison is musician who has an impressive resume. He was raised in Scotland and relocated to Los Angeles to pursue music. He not only writes songs for himself but for YouTube sensation Savannah Outen. On top of that he has worked on music for TV shows such as CSI, Under The Dome and The Simpsons. He recently released a short EP Electric Postcards of three songs that barely eclipse the eight-minute mark. The songs are straightforward alternative songs that are well written and have plenty of energy. There aren't many surprises along the way as Harrison focuses on traditional verse/chorus/verse type structures and the instrumentation revolves around guitar, drums, bass and vocals. 

One thing that should be noted is the excellent production. There aren't an ample amount of instruments but everything from the dynamics to where the vocals sit in the mix sounds good. After looking at the credits on the EP I wouldn't have expected anything less. Christopher Tyng the man behind the music for “Futurama” produced the album and it was then mixed by Serge Courtois at Igloo Studios.

Harrison explores life of a young bohemian and the world of possibilities on the first song entitled “Far From Home.” The song is a barrage of power chords, impressive, energetic drumming and Harrison’s vocals, which aren't particularly distinct but are pleasant. The second song on the EP is called “Meaningless” where Harrison sings about the vacuous nature of life without love. It’s catchy enough and feels like something you might hear on the radio or at the beginning of a sitcom like “Full House” or “Friends.” 

The highlight of the EP was the last song called “Atlas Shagged.” Harrison sings with a bit more conviction on this song and it felt a bit more visceral than the other songs. It had a bit more edge to it and served him well.

I would have liked to hear a bit more experimentation on this EP. Harrison plays it safe but on the other hand how much can you really get done in eight minutes. Electric Postcards is a nice little sampler of Harrison’s talent and I hope to hear his talents grow.

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