Home Rec. 
Tom Theuns : Songs From The River (B,2009)***°
Most often I prefer people who melt their talents into group projects to increase the possibilities of any individual talent, which also overcomes any personal weaknesses, for in a solo release you must stand firm to show the same sort of strength which an understanding creative band is able to show. Tom Theuns is already busy such a long time, so it is a good time for him to present a first solo release. From the early days I knew him I considered him as being very creative, creating new conditions and songs all the time.
Included are songs in English, and two in Dutch, and one guitar instrumental. Tom’s guitar playing is very good, which shows itself especially in an interpretation of “The Cuckoo”, a style which not particularity refers to folk but, in a Fahey way, backs itself from traditional styles like with blues and its own creativity. I also pretty much like the guitar piece (6), a John Swayne (Blowzabella) composition, or the “Cleopatra’s walk across America” with changing compositional perspective and performance. Also some Django Reinhardt influence, -like jazz-folkguitar- flavours- can be heard on “Koksijde”. And the smooth playing with the soft African exotic percussion by Serigne C.M. also suits Tom's guitar playing talent well. The early tracks sound a bit recorded as if with too breathy singing, and the English singing has a slight accent, expressed like a pose, a style inspiration. More than once I didn’t grasp immediately the need why Tom sings certain songs, as if it’s just theatre, as music for the music without a deeper inner need, a concept or showing what vision really is behind the songs. Also with the Tom Waits-kind of deformed voice on “The Sidewalk of Love” I was still wondering about the true reason or context why this is performed, but by the time of “Koksijde” or “in my backyard” it became much more clear how much Tom is just really enjoying himself, playing with characters, voices, images, it becomes all the more satisfying and understandable. Life becomes a joke sometimes, while using all the more serious elements. Still, the Dutch songs are amongst my favourite. They could have a life on the international market as well.
It was only afterwards that I realised where the inspirations came from. Tom lived for a long time in Antwerp near the international harbour and he was that sort of person who adapted all what was brought in, in the occasional stream of life, his interest towards goals that like a river brings might have brought him logically to the idea of his previous project, Aurélia, a theatrical concept on a boat that had its own life while crossing the rivers throughout Belgium. It was this experience especially which brought him all these new songs and inspirations.
Other reviews : -
