Tom Hummer - Crescendo

​Tom Hummer

Crescendo
​self-released; 2022

By Jamie Funk
​

Tom Hummer is a solo artist from central Iowa, who has been creating music for a number of years and also playing festivals and other shows around the midwest. Hummer recently released a six-song EP entitled Crescendo.

To my ears this music had a very ’90s alternative flavor with some more experimentation. I was in high school back then and had a near constant diet of bands like Weezer, Elliot Smith, Radiohead and other like-minded bands. This music sounds somewhere in the same vicinity as a lot of these bands.

The first song is entitled “Our Time Has Got To End” and you are introduced to sparse piano chords and a slick guitar groove. Hummer’s vocals are on the melancholic side here but also hopeful and reminded me somewhat of Bon Iver. The song builds with instrumentation like percussion and bells and goes into post-rock territory which was not what I expected. It’s a cool opener.

“The Worst Way” had a pretty unique groove. I’m not exactly sure what instrumentation was making some of the sounds. The vocals, which are quite catchy and accessible, are the center of the song. I liked the darker angle the song goes into with samples and Radiohead like guitar melody.

“Bleached Summer Culture” has a warmth to it. The vocals are very strong and supported by atmospheric elements. It contains more of a contemplative energy and by the end rocks out hard. I loved when the drums entered the mix here. It builds with an intensity and leads to short guitar solos where the energy gets stronger from there.

“Shame” was the most straightforward song to my ear and also a song that felt especially seeped in ’90s aesthetics. The more cerebral and ethereal “Wringer” sounds more aligned with a band like Sigur Rós. Last up is “​​Let's Roll” and is an organic sounding song with harmonica and acoustic guitar. It’s the most straightforward folk song on the release.

​Hummer is unequivocally a talented artist. This release displayed a couple of sides to this talent all of which I enjoyed in varying degrees. I can see a lot of people appreciating his music. Recommended.

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