After many years of being a session bassist and writing songs, Jonathan Tromsness finally released his debut Tromsness, titled after his last name, this past April. Located in North Vancouver, BC, Canada, Tromsness has had a lot of experience on the bass, even pursuing a degree in Jazz Studies on the upright bass. But after much playing and making demos, he views himself as not the typical bass player, but more of a songwriter, producer and front man. That’s where his heart is at. And so, Tromsness took to more writing, arranging and producing his first record at Orchid Studios in Vancouver. He had quite a backup band helping him out, too – something like six to seven additional musicians.
When he started writing songs for his debut, Tromsness was listening to a variety of artists and bands, like Talk Talk, Talking Heads, Radiohead, Beck and David Bowie. He would describe his album as “a combination of the melodies of David Bowie, production of Radiohead, with the rhythm section of Stevie Wonder.” Writing the music over the span of four years seems like a long time, but during this time Tromsness was going through a lot of changing attitudes, beliefs and values about his life. About those ideas he was raised to believe vs. what his own life experiences were showing him. Those themes are reflected in his album. “Closer” begins with a spacey, sci-fi soundscape, which of course I nerded out on. A lowdown bass and drum beat come along with piano, in this soulful and refreshing, indie rock number. Production wise Tromsness has a clean, slick sound that’s balanced out well. “Perfect World” reminds me of the experimental stylings of the Talking Heads. Great bass playing provides the back bone as does the crisp and dry drum rhythms. Genre wise, the song has a bit of reggae, funk and soul. There’s also some great keyboard action on this one. “Sanctuary” funks things up really good with extra percussion, a crazy good bass line and definitely a danceable beat. The chorus part amps up the energy with trumpet and a heavier, rocking attitude. The congas were a nice addition, too. “Sunbeams” lays it down thick with a tight beat, tense keys and a style that has a more indie rock flavor. This one seems to me to have the right chemistry to be a great single. It just has that certain drive and energy that’s likable, not to mention marketable. Although, the extra piano solo seemed a bit out of place to me – like it wasn’t mixed quite right. Moving on to “Tell Me Why” Tromsness gets to the heart of what’s bothering him about a relationship by confronting the other and protesting “I don’t’ want to be in this position.” The distorted guitar fits well with the lyrics, adding to Tromsness’ anxiety and frustration. “Something Could Happen” is arranged with a sweet and groovy bass line, a disco-esque drum beat and happy, light guitar hook. This one to me sounded like newer Bowie stuff, like in the 2000s, but it also showed a bit of the old Bowie, too. I loved the trumpet as well. The last number “The Way I Feel” takes a somber tone at first with ambient sounds, but then switches into a faster tempo, splitting the song’s styles in two. I thought this was Tromsness’ most textured and dynamic song – perhaps even, his most succinct. Overall, I thought Jonathan Tromsness’ sound and variety of styles was very refreshing to listen to. And frankly, a little out of the ordinary, which always makes music worth listening to. It’ll be interesting to see if he furthers his ideas in terms of what he did on his debut, or if he’ll take things in a new direction.
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